They passed the first quarterfinal step with flying colors. The players of HC LEV Senec entered the RAHL3 elimination stage in commanding fashion and crushed team Knights 6:0. The central figure of the game was none other than the winner of the regular-season stats, Michal Maličký. With a 4+1 night he owned the ice, but in his postgame assessment he keeps his emotions in check – in the playoffs, after all, only the win counts, and it doesn't matter whether it's by one goal or by six. Read how he sees the dominant start to the elimination stage, another shutout for Aďo Nogely and why individual trophies mean nothing to him right now.

They ground out a narrow win and tuned up for the end of the season. In a tense, nervy RAHL3 battle, team Royals edged Beers 3:2. The absolute hero of the game was Dalibor Durmis, who with a 2+1 night put his name to every single goal his team scored. In the interview he not only assessed this gritty performance but also candidly named the causes of this season's struggles. They can no longer change their position in the standings, but they want to enter the battles for the Pohár nádeje in the best possible form

A roller coaster of a game with a happy ending. Ice Punkers beat Black Wings 7:5 in RAHL3 after a real goal chase. The main driving force was Patrik Bučič, who contributed 2+2 to the win. In the interview he openly admitted that the opponent bit back much harder than they had expected. After a weaker start to the season, the league newcomers are coming to life thanks to their winter additions and have wiped out a huge points deficit. Their fate will now be decided in a head-to-head game for a place in the top four that advances.

For long seasons they were in the background, but this year Knights are writing a different story. After a shocking 8:1 win over leader Hockey For All, they have one foot in the playoffs. The architect of the success was František Polák, who fired four goals past the opponent. Read what is behind the team's revival, how the new additions have fit in and why, ahead of the key game against Royals, they even believe they can reach third place in the standings.

The offensive drought is a thing of the past. Team Beers enjoyed a real scoring spree in the first round after Christmas and, in a game that produced a full 11 goals, pushed past Knights. The lion's share of the credit goes to Michal Hlinka, who added an assist to his hat trick and became Player of the Week. Thanks to the win, Beers moved closer to the playoff zone, but Michal is keeping his feet on the ground. Read what he thinks decided the result and why they are looking forward to the Pohár nádeje as well.

The on-paper predictions in RAHL3 went up in smoke in the opening minutes. Night Riders caught standings leader HC LEV Senec off guard with a lightning start, and by the 5th minute the scoreboard already read 3:0. The hero of the game was Peter Kožuch, who shone with a hat trick and sealed the newcomers' spot in the elimination stage for good. In our interview he told us what was behind their success, why they respect one team in particular, and what the hat trick is going to cost his wallet in the locker room.

HC LEV Senec has a terrific November behind it. 5 games, 5 wins and form that commands respect. Michal Maličký left a big mark on that run, piling up 17 points (9+8) in November and becoming the scoring leader of all of RAHL3. In the interview he looked back on the season so far, talked about being surprised by his individual numbers, singled out goaltender Aďo Nogely and said plainly how he sees the playoffs for his team.

Trailing 1:2 against an awkward opponent? For team Márna Snaha it was just a spur to play better. The main hero of the evening was Peter Martiška, who orchestrated the turnaround to a final score of 4:2 with three goals. Although a hat trick shines next to his name in the stats, he modestly highlights above all the team chemistry and his teammates' accurate passes. Read how he rates the important move up the standings and whether they are confident of holding a playoff position to the end.

After Round 10, the name on everyone’s lips in RAHL3 is Michal Maličký of HC LEV Senec. Against Ľadoborci he had a 6-point game, his team won 8:0 and stretched its streak to three games without allowing a goal. Maličký also comfortably leads the scoring race for the entire competition with 26 points. In the interview he talks about what is behind the scoring explosion, how Senec’s game has changed, why goaltender Aďo Nogely deserves the biggest share of the credit for the run of zeros and how far they want to go as a team in terms of results.