HCD top scorer tackles 16-year-old ZSC youngster

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The only 16-year-old student Daniil Ustinkov may also occasionally play before the start of the play-offs with the ZSC Lions. And the Moscow-born captain of the Swiss U17 national team plays without complexes. But in the end, when HC Davos took their frustration out on the impending 4-1 defeat, they found themselves in the eye of the storm.

The 1.82m tall, 83kg defender fights for position with HCD hunk Matej Stransky (1.93m/98kg) in front of goal and tries to push the Czechs away to protect goalkeeper Simon Hrubec when play is interrupted . The top scorer from Davos hardly gets revenge when he is tackled by ZSC-aggressive leader Chris Baltisberger.

It goes around right away. And while Baltisberger is engaged in a stiff fight with Enzo Corvi, Stransky rips the lattice helmet from young Ustinkov’s head. Then he grabs him by the collar. When the 29-year-old goalgetter realized he was looking at a boy’s face, he let go of the Lions jewel.

Ustinkov passes his baptism of fire in the playoffs

Of course there is no youth protection on the ice. If you want to play with the pros, you will be treated like a pro and you have to be able to handle it. Still, Stransky’s performance against Ustinkov is not well received by the Lions. “Emotions are part of it. It is clear that Davos is trying to set an example with this score. And then you just have to fight back. I think we did that well. There may be smarter ways than going after our chick. I think there were four others on the field that could have been dealt with,” says Baltisberger. “So it was certainly good that we were able to react well.”

Ustinkov, who came to Switzerland at the age of five, passed his baptism of fire in the playoffs. And he should be happy that Baltisberger (31) has a strong protective instinct and that Stransky did not want to attack a 16-year-old after all.

Source : Blick