Dominik Kubalík | Photo: Markéta Křížová
What will Dominik Kubalík show at the home World Cup? The one who broke Czech shooting records last May? Or the one who struggled through this year’s club season in Ottawa?
Two faces.
Last year in Riga and Tampere Dominik Kubalík scored eight goals in eight matches. No one in the history of the independent Czech national team has scored more than once in one tournament. Not even Jaromír Jágr, not Martin Procházka and not even David Pastrňák… He became the top scorer of the World Cup and made it to the All-Star team.
This year in the NHL with Dominik Kubalík in 74 matches only making it eleven times. For example, in the +/- statistic, he ended up deep in the minus (-30). It was his worst year in terms of numbers and performance after going overseas.
“What was, was. Both the last championship and this year’s club season,” reports Kubalík today. “I try not to think about it. You can’t live much from what happened. Whether it’s positive, like the championship, or negative.”
It is certain that the national team needs Kubalík’s goals. The head coach Radim Rulík left out born snipers Zadina and Vrána in a bold nomination, and the arrival of the savior Pastrňák is getting further and further away. “I will try to do everything possible to help the team,” says Kubalík.
“I try not to think about it. One cannot live much from what was. Whether it’s positive, like the championship, or negative.”
It will be the fifth World Cup for the Pilsen native, he also played at the Olympics in South Korea. But when he heard a question from a group of journalists at Tuesday’s training if he felt like a matador, he answered with a smile: “I wouldn’t say that. After all, he’s the young guy Dominik, so good.”
Dominik, a young boy should start the tournament in line with Ondřej Palát and David Tomášek. The expectations of the hockey public this year – due to the dismal performance at the Czech Hockey Games and the inflated rosters of Sweden, Canada and the USA – are not high, but… “There will be pressure, there always has been. The first match will probably be familiar, but this is not the first time we are playing. I think we can do it,” he declares before the difficult opener with Finland.
“It won’t be an easy match here,” warns one boy. “All the teams are bringing their best here. Prague is a big attraction. Only good! And Finland? We played them recently – I believe it will be a better match than in Brno .”
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