Dukla Trenčín saw off HK 19 Humenné 6:3 in the Tatra Cup on Thursday, a result that keeps them firmly rooted in second place with three games played.
And here's the thing — the hosts had already shown glimpses of what they could deliver, beating Zlín 2:1 just two days earlier before that limp display against Žilina. To be fair, they made sure not to let the tie slip away this time around.
The visitors arrived with a mixed bag of form, having scraped a 4:3 win over Skalica back in April but also suffering defeats to both Prešov and Skalica in their recent run.
By then, the old head settled them down in the second period, and Dukla never got out of second gear after that. The line has barely moved in the standings, but performances like this speak louder than points on paper.
Humenné could spring a surprise, but they paid for a sloppy opening and found themselves playing the second half a man down in terms of momentum. Three games in, both sides sit on zero points — the season has barely begun.