Gavars features in Mladá Boleslav preseason as Batņa's penalty proves costly in Finland
Latvian forward Gavars has played in five of Mladá Boleslav's six preseason games, while a late penalty by Oskars Batņa in Finland's top league only helped Lahti Pelicans extend their win with two empty-net goals.
Gavars featured for Mladá Boleslav
Latvian forward Gavars, 24, who represented his country at last year's World Championship and this year's Olympic hockey tournament, has appeared in five of Mladá Boleslav's six preseason games ahead of the new Czech Extraliga campaign. Next week the club will close out its preseason schedule with games against Litvínov and Kladno.
Batņa's penalty in Finland
In a game in Finland's top league against Vaasa, Lahti Pelicans built a four-goal lead in the first period, but by the 35th minute the margin had shrunk to 4-3. With just 39 seconds left in regulation, Latvian forward Oskars Batņa was penalized for tripping, leaving his team shorthanded. Despite the penalty, Lahti's players still managed to score twice into the empty net before time expired, sealing a comfortable win. Batņa himself logged 17 minutes of ice time, won seven of 16 faceoffs, registered one shot on goal, skated 3.99 kilometers and finished the game with a plus-one rating.
