LEV 2:3 NIZ | Lev Praha - HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (KHL)

KHL

Lev – Neftekhimik

2:3 (after OT)

Lokomotiv – Metallurg M

1:5 (end)

final/OT

Lev Praha

2:3 (1:0, 0:1, 1:1)

HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk

Sunday 23.12.2012, 14:00 • Tipsport Arena, Prague • KHL

		In a game that lacked much excitement for 58 minutes, the last 2 minutes of regulation time plus overtime more than made up for it. With points crucial to both team's playoff fortunes in their respective conferences, Neftekhimik gets 2 and Lev gets 1. (17:13:36)
	62:32	Game over.
	62:32	Goal for Neftekhimik! After Rachunek's chance, Neftekhimik rushes back up the ice and the puck is fed to PIOTR KHOKHRYAKOV, who snaps it past Tomas Popperle for the game-winning goal. Assist: Yaroslav Alshevsky.
	62:15	And now a breakway for Tomas Rachunekk of Lev but he's denied by Dalton, play continues . . .
	61:56	At the tail end of the penalty, Popperle makes another save . . .
	61:17	A couple of big shots by Pestushko and two big saves by Popperle.
	60:45	Zdeno Chara ices as we approach the midway point of the penalty . . .
	60:01	Overtime began.
		After a wild final two minutes of the third period in which the teams trade goals, both with Lev on the power play, this game is headed for overtime tied 2-2. Both teams get one point in the bank and will play for a second. First comes 5 minutes of 4-on-4 sudden death overtime followed by a shootout if noobody scores. Neftekhimik begins on the power play for 1:56.
	60:00	3rd period finished.
	59:56	It appears we're headed for overtime, but Neftekhimik will start it on the power play as Erik Christensen gets assessed a minor for boarding.
	59:49	Goal for Lev! Amazing last couple of minutes to this 3rd period. NICKLAS DANIELSSON blasts a perfectly teed up one-timer past Dalton to tie this game on the power play with 10.9 seconds left in regulation time. Assists: Jakub Klepis, Ondrej Nemec.
	59:41	Play stopped as it gets covered by Nikolai Belov in the corner. Lev wants a delay-of-game penalty but it's not coming.
	58:55	Lev goes back to the attack, now needing a power-play goal to send this game to overtime. Faceoff in the Neftekhimik zone with their net empty, giving them a 6-on-4 advantage.
	58:10	Goal for Neftekhimik! Petr Koukal intercepts a pass in his own zone and feeds IGOR POLYGALOV on a shorthanded breakaway. Unbelievable. Assist: Petr Koukal.
	58:03	Timeout Lev. Clearly, with a chance on the power-play, they want to seize this chance to take 3 points today.
	58:03	Another Neftekhimik penalty, and Lev will once again finish the period on the power play unless they score, which they've failed to do on their previous attempts. Stanislav Alshevsky gets another penalty for tripping.
	57:28	Back down in the Neftekhimik zone, Dalton again covers the puck for a faceoff.
	57:00	On their last chance of the PP, Jakub Voracek took a weak-angle shot that Dalton caught and then quickly played, puck then iced to kill the rest of the penalty.
	56:22	Juraj Mikus sends a low shot through traffic that gets to Dalton, and he holds on. :35 left in the penalty.
	55:34	Puck hits the netting above the glass in the Neftekhimik zone, faceoff sent outside. 1:23 left in the penalty.
	55:18	Petr Vrana gets a couple of shots for Lev, then the puck is iced . . .
	54:57	Lev back to the power play, as Tomas Netik gets called for tripping at the Lev blueline.
	53:36	Puck slides harmlessly to Dalton, who covers it.
	53:17	Tomas Popperle makes a save and covers the puck. Both teams are now at full strength.
	52:50	Jakub Krejcik takes a low slap shot that Dalton makes a stick save on, then puck is iced, which will kill off the rest of the penalty.
	52:00	Penalty half over, Lev still without a shot . . .
	51:00	Tomas Surovy comes out of the box and gets a chance, and in the ensuing scramble in the Neftekhimik zone Petr Vrana gets a stick in the face courtesy of Stanislav Alshevsky. Power play Lev.
	50:15	Now Lev ices, heading into the last :30 of their PK.
	49:47	Big one-time attempt by Maxim Berezin from the point that goes wide.
	48:46	After a lengthy delay, Tomas Surovy is called for high sticking. Neftekhimik with a power play at a key point in the game.
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
	47:30	Sorry for the confusion folks, but the 3rd period started some time ago.
	25:25	Another wrister from a similar spot, this time by Netik, is held onto by Popperle for a faceoff.
	24:40	Piotr Khokhryakov with a hard low wrist shot that Popperle turns away.
	24:05	Erik Christensen set up for a one-timer in the slot by Voracek but he fires just wide. The puck eventually comes to Dalton, who covers it.
	23:26	Slap shot attempt by Alexander Seluyanov from the point is blocked, then Tomas Netik's high wrister is caught and held by Popperle.
	22:42	Another icing call against Neftekhimik, both teams having a difficult time getting any offence going in the early going of this period.
	21:31	Icing Neftekhimik.
	21:08	Lev called for icing, although Jakub Klepis's stick was lifted in the neutral zone, which should have negated the call.
	20:37	Venturing into the Lev zone, Tomas Netik fires a big slapper high and wide.
	20:10	Off the draw, Neftekhimik ices the puck and that does it for the penalty . . .
		Lev starts the 3rd period with a brief power play, Renat Mamashev has :10 left in his minor penalty.
		The players are on the ice and the 3rd period will begin shortly.
		Lev has dominated in the faceoff circle so far, winning 21 of 35 draws. Erik Christensen is 7/12, while Petr Koukal is 7/13 for Neftekhimik. Zdeno Chara is Lev's icetime leader with 17:16, while time has been distributed much more evenly for Neftekhimik; captain Maxim Pestushko, a forward, is their leader at 13:14.
		The second period was similar to the first, not a lot of offence in this game. Neftekhimik scored the only goal on a power play to tie the score at 1-1 through 40 minutes. Shots on goal in the 2nd period (and game): Lev 9 (15), Neftekhimik 11 (19). 3rd period will begin at 16:42 CET, 10:42 EST.
	40:00	2nd period finished.
	39:35	Neftekhimik effectively killing the penalty by passing the puck around the neutral zone.
	38:57	Pressure relieved by icing the puck on the PK . . .
	38:10	Renat Mamashev gets called for hooking along the boards in the Lev zone, which kept the puck from being cleared. Lev to the power play.
	36:42	Streaking down the right side, Jakub Klepis's wrist shot hits Matt Dalton square and he holds for a faceoff.
	36:33	Lev gets called for icing again.
	36:25	Icing Lev.
	36:05	Icing Neftekhimik. Momentum seems to have shifted in Lev's favour.
	35:37	a pair of shots by Michal Repik and two big saves by Dalton, the second one he deflected wide and then caught the carom off the glass.
	35:15	Tomas Rachunek knocks down defenceman Denis Grot in a collision behind the net.
	34:35	Slap shot by Ondrej Nemec on a rush hits a defeceman and goes wide.
	33:50	Petr Vrana takes a shot on the rush with Jakub Klepis open in front, Dalton steers it away.
	33:03	Another save by Dalton, and he covers.
	32:55	Nicklas Danielsson takes a wrist shot from the point that hits the arm of Dalton.
	32:18	Icing Lev.
	31:39	Zdeno Chara crunches Khokhryakov into the boards in the Neftekhimik zone.
	30:58	Icing Lev.
	30:37	Now a flurry in the Lev crease, Ansel Galimov and Netik both denied by Popperle.
	29:50	The visitors really have the momentum now, backhander from Tomas Netik is stopped . . .
	29:32	Neftekhimik comes right down the ice again after scoring, Popperle makes the save and holds it.
	29:20	Goal for Neftekhimik! With :17 left in their power play, the puck gets worked to STANISLAV ALSHEVSKY, who just has to sweep it in at the side of the net. Assists: Piotr Khokhryakov, Yaroslav Alshevsky.
	28:45	Pestushko gets another chance that hits Popperle in the chest, then puck is cleared to end the first minor . . .
	28:15	Puck gets worked around for a one-timer from Pestushko that goes wide.
	27:37	Now Tomas Rachunek gets called for tripping, giving Neftekhimik a 5-on-3 for :43.
	27:25	Maxim Pestushko takes a wrist shot from the faceoff dot that Popperle knocks down, play continues . . .
	26:20	Jiri Hunkes takes a minor penalty as he puts a hold on the dangerous Yaroslav Alshevsky, who had the puck in the slot. That might be what is called a good penalty.
	25:15	Maxim Berezin takes a high slapper from the point that hits Popperle in the blocker and pops into the air before being cleared from harm's way.
	24:40	Petr Koukal with a backhander along the ice that Popperle stops with his stick and covers.
	23:46	At the other end, Mike Dalton covers a loose puck at the side of the net.
	23:20	Ansel Galimov takes Nathan Oystrick hard into the boards in the corner in the Lev zone.
	23:02	Now Dalton makes another save and holds it for a faceoff.
	22:50	Mattias Porseland set up Tomas Surovy right on the doorstep, he tried to make a move on Dalton but was pokechecked.
	22:23	Puck hits the netting above the glass in the Lev zone. Faceoff outside.
	21:40	Andrei Plekhanov takes a shot from the boards that Popperle juggled, then swept away.
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
		Teams are on the ice, and the start of the 2nd period is moments away.
		A period that had a lot of play in the neutral zone, but Neftekhimik had a couple of great chances to score that were denied by Tomas Popperle. At the other end, Tomas Rachunek scored the period's only goal in the 8th minute and Lev leads 1-0 after 1. Shots on goal: Lev 7, Neftekhimik 8. 2nd period will begin at 15:45 CET, 09:45 EST.
	20:00	1st period finished.
	19:42	Lubos Bartecko tries to ring the puck around the glass but it goes out of play. Faceoff outside.
	19:31	Offside Lev. Mattias Porseland couldn't keep the puck in at the point.
	18:22	Jakub Voracek came out of the corner and tried to stuff the puck in, but was denied.
	18:00	Yegor Milovzorov gets called for slashing in his own end, and Lev will end the period on the power play (unless they score).
	16:50	Vitali Karamnov Jr takes a shot from the boards that Dalton stops. Karamnov's father, Vitali Sr, is an assistant coach with Lev and is a former member of the St Louis Blues.
	15:40	Yaroslav Alshevsky goes end-to-end for Neftekhimik, then tried to finish it by deking Popperle but denied.
	14:15	Igor Polygalov with a high wrister off the rush that Popperle knocks down with his catching glove. The puck lied in the slot for a while before being cleared.
	13:32	Neftekhimik stretch-pass attempt deflected by a Lev stick in the neutral zone and out of play. Faceoff at centre ice.
	13:05	Chance for Marcel Hossa in front, but he ran out of room and could only shoot into Matt Dalton's pads. Faceoff upcoming in Neftekhimik zone.
	11:41	Coming in again, Ansel Galimov gets a weak shot on Popperle, who stops it and holds for a faceoff.
	11:07	A turnover led to a Neftekhimik two-man breakaway! Defenceman Nikolai Belov tried to beat Popperle five-hole, but the Lev goalie denies him.
	10:35	Zdeno Chara breaks his stick taking a slapshot from the point, puck goes goes harmlessly wide, Chara goes to the bench.
	07:26	Goal for Lev! Marcel Hossa with a backhand pass from the corner to TOMAS RACHUNEK in the slot. Rachunek receives the pass on his forehand and then fires a backhander high on Dalton, who was going down. Assist: Marcel Hossa, Jiri Hunkes.
	06:40	Jiri Hunkes slides in from the point and gets a shot from in close that's tipped wide.
	05:41	Now Popperle makes the save and holds on for a faceoff. Not only is Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk a really long name to type out, but several of their players have equally long and complicated names. It's going to be a fun game.
	05:05	Nice move by Neftekhimik captain Maxim Pestushko, weaving in and out of traffic before getting a backhand shot on Popperle.
	04:02	Nicklas Danielsson's shot gets deflected out of play, faceoff coming up in the Neftekhimik zone. Everyone around here still buzzing about Danielsson's KHL debut on Friday in which he recorded 4 points.
	03:03	And now the whistle goes and penalties assessed, Stanislav Alshevsky for slashing and Zdeno Chara for interference. 4 on 4. From the looks of things in the early going, this could be a rough game.
	-1680:00	A lot of hitting in the early going from both sides . . .
	02:15	Lev ices and that should do it for the penalty, I counted only 1 shot on the Neftekhimik power play.
	01:36	Pressure from Neftekhimik on the PP but no quality shots, play whistled because a forward was stationed in the goal crease, faceoff goes outside.
	00:19	Early power play for Neftekhimik, as Lev's Jiri Hunkes takes a hooking penalty.
	00:01	Game started.
		The national anthems of the Russian Federation and Czech Republic have been played and the opening faceoff is moments away.
		Starting Lineups: Lev Praha: Pöpperle (Kocián) -- Hunkes, Němec (A) - Chára (C), Krejčík - Mikuš, Porseland - Oystrick -- Danielsson, Christensen, Voráček - Bartečko (A), Vrána, Klepiš - Surový, Svoboda, Hossa - Rachůnek, Karamnov, Řepík - Cingel. HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk: Dalton (Sokolov) -- Seluyanov, Mamashev (A) - Berezin, Plekhanov - Belov, Lukyanchikov - Kozin, Grot -- Polygalov, Koukal, Netík - Milovzorov, Cibák (A), Pestushko (C) - Y. Alshevsky, Khokhryakov, S. Alshevsky - Komaritsky, Ziazov, Galimov. Referees: Bulanov, Ravodin - Birin, Shelyanin.
		Today's game features a match-up of the 7th-place clubs from the Eastern and Western conferences, respectively. Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk is 7th in the East with 54 points, 1 point ahead of Sibir Novosibirsk and 1 behind Barys Astana. Lev Praha, meanwhile, is 7th in the West with 50 points, 1 point ahead of Donbass Donetsk and 3 behind Severstal Cherepovets. Neftekhimik is led by defenceman Renat Mamashev, the team's leader in points with 33 and penalty minutes with 54. He's the KHL's top-scoring defenceman and 7th among all players. He's especially a threat on the power play, where he has scored 6 of his 7 goals. Not surprisingly, he will play in next month's KHL All-Star Game. Up front, their leader is Czech Petr Koukal with 29 points and a club-leading 11 goals. Koukal and fellow Czech Tomáš Netík are no-doubt glad to be near home at Christmas time. Lev Praha has an all-star defenceman of their own. Zdeno Chára, currently acting as the team's captain with Jiří Novotný injured, was voted to the starting lineup by the fans. Up front, their starting forward line will be Nicklas Danielsson, Erik Christensen and Jakub Voráček. The line was dynamite Friday night in the team's 6-1 win over Salavat Yulayev Ufa, in which Danielsson collected 4 points in his KHL debut. The starting goaltenders will be Matt Dalton for Neftekhimik and Tomáš Pöpperle for Lev.
		Welcome. Today's game starts at 14:00 GMT, 15:00 CET local time in Prague, 18:00 MSK in Nizhnekamsk, and 09:00 EST/06:00 PST in North America.

Commentary by

Derek OBrien

@@Djob76

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 8. Rachunek (Hossa, Hunkes), 60. Danielsson (Klepis, Nemec) - 30. S.Alshevsky (Khokhryakov, Y.Alshevsky), 59. Polygalov (Koukal), 63. Khokhryakov (Y.Alshevsky)

Lev Praha: Pöpperle (Kocián) -- Hunkes, Němec (A) - Chára (C), Krejčík - Mikuš, Porseland - Oystrick -- Danielsson, Christensen, Voráček - Bartečko (A), Vrána, Klepiš - Surový, Svoboda, Hossa - Rachůnek, Karamnov, Řepík - Cingel.

HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk: Dalton (Sokolov) -- Seluyanov, Mamashev (A) - Berezin, Plekhanov - Belov, Lukyanchikov - Kozin, Grot -- Polygalov, Koukal, Netík - Milovzorov, Cibák (A), Pestushko (C) - Y. Alshevsky, Khokhryakov, S. Alshevsky - Komaritsky, Ziazov, Galimov.

Referees: Bulanov, Ravodin - Birin, Shelyanin

1st period
	00:19
	03:03
	07:26
	18:00
1st intermission
2nd period
	26:20
	27:37
	29:20
	38:10
2nd intermission
3rd period
	48:46
	51:00
	54:57
	58:03
	58:10
	59:49
	59:56
After 3rd period
Overtime
	62:32
Final/OT