LEV 0:2 KZN | Lev Praha - Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)

KHL

Riga – HC Yugra

1:3 (end)

Lev – Ak Bars

0:2 (end)

final

Lev Praha

0:2 (0:2, 0:0, 0:0)

Ak Bars Kazan

Monday 24.12.2012, 12:00 • Tipsport Arena, Prague • KHL

		Ak Bars Kazan got two power-play goals in the first period, and that's all they needed. Both Yemil Garipov and Jakub Stepanek were perfect after that. Garipov, in just his 6th start of the season, gets his first shutout. He was especially good in the 2nd period when Lev put on all kinds of pressure. In the third, his team was strong defensively in front of him, and he mostly only had to face long shots. (15:13:53)
	60:00	Game over.
	59:30	Lev comes up ice, Stepanek goes back to the bench . . .
	59:20	Icing Lev. Stepanek comes back in. Down 2 goals, he'll probably stay there now.
	58:40	Voracek feeds Danielsson, whose one-timer sails high.
	58:22	Stepanek is indeed on the bench as we're set for this faceoff, Lev 6-on-5.
	58:22	Timeout Lev. We might see Stepanek leave the net soon.
	58:22	Puck bounces to Garipov, who covers.
	57:25	Kilill Petrov with a great chance to put this game away, tried to deke Stepenek on the forehand but the puck slid off his stick.
	56:53	Marcel Hossa with the long shot, Garipov catches it high. Unlike the pressure they brought in the second period, Lev having a hard time penetrating the slot in the 3rd as Ak Bars has really tightened up defensively.
	55:43	Icing Lev.
	54:17	Back at full strength, Lubos Bartecko led a Lev rush and fired the puck wide.
	53:35	Now Immonen with a shot, Stepanek covers. :41 left in the penalty.
	53:20	Janne Pesonen circled the net and shot wide from the slot.
	52:46	Puck winds up on the back of the net, faceoff outside. 1:30 left in the penalty.
	52:16	Ondrej Nemec getting a penalty for holding his opponent too long in the corner.
	51:55	Offside Lev.
	51:38	Lev shoot-in attempt gets deflected out. Faceoff in the Ak Bars zone.
	51:16	Shot from Alexei Morozov hits Stepanek's stick and goes over the glass. Faceoff inside.
	50:35	Penalty over and play now in the Lev zone.
	50:05	Shot from Ondrej Nemec hits Garipov, not sure he saw it.
	49:40	Ak Bars ices as we're into the last half of the penalty . . .
	49:05	Now puck played by an Ak Bars high stick in their own end. 1:26 left in the penalty.
	59:49	Danielsson winds up for a slap shot but it hits a stick and goes out. Faceoff inside.
	48:31	Lev's going to get another chance on the power play as Grigori Panin goes off for cross-checking.
	47:39	Long shot from Klepis, steered aside by Garipov.
	46:05	Michal Repik takes a slap shot but it hits a stick and goes over the glass. Faceoff in the Ak Bars zone.
	45:26	Now puck out of play in the Ak Bars zone, faceoff inside.
	45:20	Kirill Petrov tried to sneak a shot through Stepanek's pads but no room.
	44:44	Icing Lev.
	44:33	Now Ak Bars comes down the ice, Stepanek stops and freezes it.
		Looks like it was Yemelin, but he appears to be alright, faceoff at centre ice.
	44:23	Play is stopped as we have an Ak Bars player down in his own end. I can't tell who it is yet.
	44:06	More pressure from Lev's top line, another chance for Christensen, Garipov freezes it.
	43:40	Danielsson, back with the top line, feathers a pass in front that Christensen couldn't get to.
	42:42	Driving hard to the net, Michal Repik looses his footing and slides into Garipov, dislodging the net. Faceoff outside.
		Puck out of play, faceoff in the Ak Bars zone.
	41:41	Puck now slides down to Stepanek who covers it. Some pushing and shoving after the whistle, no penalties.
	41:26	Teams now back to full strength, play in the Ak Bars zone . . .
	40:35	Ilya Nikulin with a slap shot stopped by Stepanek, rebound was loose but no one got to it.
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
		Teams are on the ice and the 3rd period will begin soon. Teams will start 4 on 4, as there is still 1:26 left in the minors to Yemelin and Voracek.
		Lev did about as much as they could have done that period without scoring, putting on all sorts of pressure. Yemil Garipov, normally Ak Bars' backup goalie, had quite a period in goal. The official shots in that period are 12-9 for Ak Bars, which is surprising, and certainly not indicative of the play. Lev certainly had an edge in time of possession and quality scoring chances, but also missed the net a lot from prime shooting locations. Shots are 26-15 overall. 3rd period will begin at 14:38 CET, 08:38 EST.
	40:00	2nd period finished.
	39:43	Ak Bars comes down the ice, Adbullin the shot, Stepanek stops and holds.
	39:26	Jakub Voracek gets taken down and crashes hard into the Ak Bars net, then he gets up and retaliates. We've got Alexei Yemelin for interference and Voracek for roughing. We'll finish the period 4 on 4.
	39:19	Shot from Tereschenko, stick save Stepanek.
	38:40	Offside Lev on the pass again. Faceoff at centre ice.
	38:15	Jaroslav Svoboda's shot hits Garipov in the pad and goes to the corner.
	37:29	Icing Lev.
	37:19	Offside Lev on the pass attempt, faceoff back at their blueline.
	36:58	This time Nicklas Danielsson with a chance right in front but can't put it past Garipov. Then Ak Bars ices. Danielsson playing with Surovy and Hossa now, as lines are being shuffled.
	36:46	Offside Lev.
	36:33	Denis Abdullin does a good job killing the last 10 seconds or so of that penalty, skating around the neutral zone with it.
	36:07	Good Lev pressure, but puck now iced . . .
	35:38	Jakub Voracek's shot hits a stick and goes out of play. Faceoff will stay in the Ak Bars zone with :55 left in the penalty.
	35:05	Scramble in front, Zdeno Chara can't force it home, puck cleared . . .
	34:33	Ilya Nikulin gets called for holding the stick. It's safe to say Lev has got to put away one of these chances if they want to get back into this game.
	34:33	Tomas Rachunek hits the crossbar at the other end. Ak Bars penalty coming up.
	34:15	More pressure from Ak Bars, shot from the top of the slot by Morozov, stopped.
	33:25	Icing Lev.
	33:20	Long wrister from the point from Morozov deflected away by Stepanek.
	33:10	Alexei Morozov sets up Denis Abdullin for the shot, hits Stepanek in the chest and he holds on.
	32:29	Another big hit by Nathan Oystrick along the boards, he's really taking the body today.
	31:17	Lev again applying pressure, the puck ends up loose in the slot and Garipov jumps out and covers it.
	30:15	Nathan Oystrick works over Denis Abdullin along the boards, manages to get the puck and clear it.
	29:57	Offside Ak Bars.
	29:24	Ak Bars back at full strength and they rush on Stepanek, he stops it for a faceoff.
	28:51	Now a Lev pass doesn't connect and goes for icing. :16 left in their PP.
	28:20	Another clear, PP and PK units both change on the fly.
	27:40	Ak Bars ices to relieve pressure . . .
	27:07	Finally the whistle goes, and Denis Abdullin gets called for hooking.
	26:55	Delayed penalty coming to Ak Bars, and with the Lev net empty a pass to a vacant point goes all the way down and just wide of the empty net.
	25:45	Now a scramble around the Lev goal, finally cleared. Stepanek visibly upset that the whistle never went, play continues . . .
	25:02	Another great Lev chance. Marcel Hossa with a nice drop pass for Lubos Bartecko, but his shot from the slot goes high and wide and out of play. Faceoff outside. They've had so many chances this period to get back into the game.
	24:40	Icing Ak Bars.
	24:07	Puck goes out of play, faceoff will be in the Lev zone to Stepanek's left.
	23:37	Alexei Tereschenko gets Ak Bars first shot of the period, play continues in the Lev zone.
	22:57	Now Jakub Voracek with a glorious chance but he overskates the puck right in front of the net.
	22:30	Long stretch pass from Ondrej Nemec to Nicklas Danielsson, his slap shot hits Garupov in the arm, then cleared.
	21:35	Now a scramble in the crease and the whistle goes. Tomas Surovy upset because he thinks the puck was still loose. Good shift for Lev.
	21:18	Mathias Porseland with a wrist shot from the top of the slot that goes wide.
	21:03	A Lev rush into the Ak Bars zone, Tomas Rachunek with a weak angle shot that is easily handled by Garupov.
		Ak Bars' Niko Kapanen has left the bench and gone to the dressing room bleeding from his nose. Not sure if he took a high stick on the play, maybe a puck, but no penalty called.
	20:41	Early Lev pressure in the 2nd, play finishes with a Jakub Voracek backhander that Yemil Garipov gloves.
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
		Teams are on the ice and the 2nd period will begin shortly.
		A forgettable period for Lev Praha, as they were under siege for much of the middle portion of that period, thanks to a parade of penalties that twice put them down 2 men. Ak Bars scored twice on the power play and leads 2-0 after 20 minutes. Shots on goal: Lev 6, Ak Bars 14. 2nd period will begin at 13:48 CET, 07:48 EST.
	20:00	1st period finished.
	19:55	Anther scramble right in front of Stepanek, puck stays out.
	19:10	Morozov with a set up for Darins, his one-timer toward the open half of the net goes wide.
	17:35	Lev with their best chance so far, Tomas Surovy with a setup for Bartecko right in front, but he can't finish it off as the puck rolls of his stick.
	17:00	Nathan Oystrick with a hard hit on Denis Golubov along the boards . . .
	16:39	Slap shot attempty bhy Yevgeni Bodrov gets deflected and ends up on the stick of Denis Abdullin in front, who tries to stuff it in. Stepanek keeps it out.
	16:17	Wrist shot from the point by Yevgeni Medvedev, save Stepanek and faceoff. He's faced a lot of shots this period.
	15:02	Puck deflected into the Lev bench. Faceoff inside the Lev zone.
	14:30	Ak Bars effectively controls the puck for the last few seconds of the penalty and fire it down the ice just as it ends . . .
	13:45	A couple of shots for Jakub Klepis, Barulin with two saves.
	13:10	Ak Bars ices on the PK . . .
	12:27	And now an Ak Bars penalty, Grigori Panin for holding.
	11:43	Goal for AK Bars! At the side of the net, JANNE PESONEN converted a pass across the net for his team's 2nd power-play goal of the game. Assists: Jarkko Immonen, Yevgeni Medvedev.
	11:35	Stepanek once again makes a save, :05 left of 5-on-3.
	11:18	News gets worse for Lev, Nathan Oystrick called for cross-checking. Another Ak Bars 5-on-3, this one for :22.
	10:34	Goal for AK Bars! LAURIS DARZINS finishes off a passing play and goes high for the power play goal. It came with 1 second left in the first penalty, so Ak Bars remains on the PP for 1:01. Assists: Ilya Nilolin, Alexei Morozov.
	09:52	Pressure from Ak Bars on the PP, nice save Stepanek. 1:13 left of 5-on-3.
	09:40	It's ruled a delay of game penalty for Petr Vrana. I think the discussion was over the fact it went out at the bench, but it cleared the glass behind the bench and went into the stands. 5-on-3 Ak Bars for 1:25.
	09:40	Puck cleared by Lev over the glass. We now have a discussion if this is a penalty.
	09:05	We weren't back at 5 on 5 for long, Erik Christensen gets called for interference, pinching off Morozov along the boards at the Lev blueline.
	08:52	Lev now back at full strength, play in the neutral zone.
	08:25	Nikulin with a shot from the point that Stepanek stops, rebound just wide . . .
	07:51	Ak Bars now at full strength and have exactly 1 minute on the power play.
	06:51	Jakub Krejcik takes a slash at Lauris Darzins, who ends up getting away and getting a shot on Stepanek. He didn't score but he did draw the penalty, and we have 4 on 4.
	06:40	Pass to Danielsson and one-timer that doesn't get through.
	05:51	Denis Kulyash of Ak Bars gets the game's first penalty for holding along the boards in his own end. Power play Lev.
	05:25	Offside Ak Bars.
	04:44	Back the other way, a Lev shot is stopped and held by Barulin for a faceoff.
	04:25	Kirill Petrov's high shot hits Stepanek in the shoulder, goes in the air, then lands in the crease and slides just wide of the post as he tried to get his stick on it.
	03:33	Offside Ak Bars.
	03:05	Michal Repik attempts a wraparound, Garipov with the paddle down knocks it out of harm's way.
	02:15	Marcel Hossa from the corner almost scores, as Barulin almost handled it a bit too casually, but it's cleared and play continues . . .
	01:40	Long battle for the puck along the boards in the Lev zone, finally it comes loose and Lev breaks out . . .
	00:27	Sami Kapanen, ex-Dallas Star, gets the game's first shot on goal, a slapper on the rush that Stepanek catches and holds for the game's first stoppage.
	00:01	Game started.
		The national anthems of the Russian Federation and the Czech Republic have been played and the opening faceoff is moments away. Merry Christmas everybody, now let's enjoy a hockey game!
		Starting goaltenders are Konstantin Barulin (the Barulin Wall) for Ak Bars and Jakub Stepanek for Lev. Ak Bars going with 6 defencemen and 14 forwards in this game. Lev the more traditional 7 and 13. Other than in goal, the only other change they've made from yesterday is Jiri Hunkes is out and Martin Skoula is in on defence.
		Starting Lineups: Lev Praha: Štěpánek (Kocián) -- Škoula, Němec (A) - Chára (C), Krejčík - Mikuš, Porseland - Oystrick -- Danielsson, Christensen, Voráček - Rachůnek, Vrána, Klepiš - Bartečko (A), Surový, Hossa - Cingel. Ak Bars Kazan: Barulin (Garipov) -- Korneyev, Nikulin (A) - Medvedev, Kulyash - Yemelin, Panin -- Darzinš, Kapanen, Morozov (C) - Pesonen, Immonen, Obukov - Luboyanov, Tereschenko (A), Petrov - Abdullin, Bodrov, Golubov - Sokolov, Khomitsky. Referees: Zakharov, Karabanov - Birin, Shelyanin.
		Welcome. This game starts at 12:00 GMT, 13:00 CET local time in Prague, 16:00 MSK in Kazan, and 07:00 EST/04:00 PST in North America.

Commentary by

Derek OBrien

@@Djob76

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 11. Darzins (Nikolin, Morozov), 12. Pesonen (Immonen, Medvedev)

Lev Praha: Štěpánek (Kocián) -- Škoula, Němec (A) - Chára (C), Krejčík - Mikuš, Porseland - Oystrick -- Danielsson, Christensen, Voráček - Rachůnek, Vrána, Klepiš - Bartečko (A), Surový, Hossa - Cingel.

Ak Bars Kazan: Garipov (Barulin) -- Korneyev, Nikulin (A) - Medvedev, Kulyash - Yemelin, Panin -- Darzinš, Kapanen, Morozov (C) - Pesonen, Immonen, Obukov - Luboyanov, Tereschenko (A), Petrov - Abdullin, Bodrov, Golubov - Sokolov, Khomitsky.

Referees: Zakharov, Karabanov - Birin, Shelyanin

1st period
	05:51
	06:51
	09:05
	09:40
	10:34
	11:18
	11:43
	12:27
1st intermission
2nd period
	27:07
	34:33
	39:26
2nd intermission
3rd period
	48:31
	52:16
Final