One-time slapper from Oystrick, stopped by Biryukov, the rebound goes off the end boards and Zackrisson tries to centre it, Biryukov covers and we have some pushing and shoving after the whistle, but it doesn't seem anything will come of it.

Ridderwall-Azevedo-Klepis back the other way and this time it's Biryukov's turn to make the big stop.

Thornberg tries to get free down the right wing, takes a long shot that Biryukov turns to the corner.

Lev back at full strength after an impressive kill where Yugra didn't get a shot.

Azevedo and Ridderwall doing a good job of penalty killing for Lev, Ridderwall with a dangerous-looking long shot that almost fooled Biryukov but he got his blocker on it.

Thornberg takes a whack at a rolling puck in the Yugra zone, it hits Biryukov square and he covers it.

Maenpaa flies down the right wing for Lev, fires a high wrister wide.

Andrei Shefer stickhandling down low in the Lev zone trying to find an open man in front, but runs out of options and is bumped off the puck, Vehanen covers.

Nathan Oystrick catches Mikhail Plotnikov with his head down behind the Lev net and sends him flying.

The puck is deflected out of play in the neutral zone, and we'll have a faceoff just outside the Yugra blueline.

Smolenak shoots from a sharp angle, hits Vehanen in the arm.

Mikus tries to hit a streaking Repik with a long pass but it's too far ahead of him and goes for icing against Lev.

Thornberg shoots from the hashmarks near the right wing boards that hits Biryukov's stick and goes out of play. Faceoff in the Yugra zone.

And then Plotnikov and another save by Vehanen, who covers. Yugra coming on a bit now.

Gusev the slapper, kicked out by Vehanen.

Ivan Khlnytsev with a wrister from near the boards that Vehanen catches and holds. Khlnytsev you'll remember took a shot from a teammate in his hand in the first period and hasn't played a lot since then, but he's apparently well enough to keep playing tonight.

Play in the Lev zone, Smolenak attempts a wraparound but Vehanen denies him.

Thornberg with a block and quickly leads a rush up ice, he backhands a pass to Sekac, but he's tied up and can't get a shot away.

Puck deflected out of play in the Lev zone, faceoff inside.

Lev back at full strength, play in the neutral zone.

Troncinsky with a slapper from the point, save Vehanen and it's iced again.

Yugra shotless halfway through the power play, Lev ices for the second time.

Offside Lev.

Savinainen makes a nice move in the Lev zone and fires a wrister that hits Vehanen in the pad, and then the puck ends up hitting the netting and play is stopped. Faceoff inside.

Now a shot from Maenpaa and Biryukov stops it and holds on.

A Lev shoot-in attempt goes out of play. Faceoff at centre ice.

At the other end Smolenak shoots, it hits Vehanen up high and goes out of play. Faceoff in the Lev zone.

Another icing call against Yugra.

Icing Yugra.

Azevedo shoots, Cingel deflects his shot and it hits Biryukov and goes to the corner.

Finally Petri Vehanen covers the puck to get a whistle in the Lev zone.

Kirill Knyazev hammers Ondrej Nemec into the boards and the Lev defenceman is slow to get up, play continues.

Lev back at full strength and they are now called for icing.

Earlier on the PK, Dixon now on for the Yugra power play, his shot attempt is deflected wide.

Lev is now shorthanded and they ice the puck, so Yugra regroups with about 1:30 left in their power play.

Yugra called for offside while shorthanded, so they get a faceoff at the Lev blueline with :42 left in the penalty.

Offside Lev.

Lev back at full strength and they have possession in the Yugra zone.

Azevedo blocks a shot and starts a Lev shorthanded rush the other way, Ridderwall takes a long shot from the blueline, stick save Biryukov.

Offside Yugra with :32 left in the power play.

Starosta the shot, blocker save Vehanen, the rebound is blocked and then cleared.

Yugra hand pass in the attacking zone, faceoff outside with 1:45 left in their power play.

Martin Thornberg gets the puck near the boards and tries to cut toward the Yugra net but trips over a fallen player and never gets a shot off.

Savinainen leads a Yugra rush, fires a low wrister just wide.

Radek Smolenak eludes a check, circles the Lev net and backhands the puck into Vehanen, who covers it.

Pass in front to Zackrisson but he's checked as he tries to shoot it just as the penalty expires.

Slapper from Novotny on the power play, hits Biryukov in the bread basket and he holds it with :15 left in the penalty.

quick shot from Klepis off the draw, kicked out by Biryukov.

one-time slapper by Nathan Oystrick but Mikhail Biryukov saw it all the way and stopped it.

Lev with some good pressure, attempt a couple of shots and the puck is deflected out of play. Faceoff inside.

Now Marek Troncinsky of Yugra getting a penalty for high sticking, so Lev to the power play for the first time tonight.

Lev into the Yugra zone, Zackrisson the shot in close but Biryukov makes a stick save.

Back the other way the puck is deflected out of play in the Lev zone, faceoff inside.

Marek Troncinsky attempts a slapper in the dying seconds of the power play but it's blocked and cleared.

Zhukov gets a shot, pad save Vehanen and the puck is cleared.

Yugra move the puck around off the draw, Vehanen manages to get his glove on the loose puck and cover it.

Then Repik gets the puck back, finds Novotny in front but Biryukov stops and covers his quick shot.

Repik fires a wrister high and wide for Lev.

Finally Biryukov covers the puck with Lev putting on pressure around him.

Lev goes down the ice and gets a shot on Biryukov, then Yugra clears the puck and is called for icing.

Alexei Pepelayev fires a slapper from the point that hits his teammate Ivan Khlyntsev in front of the net and Vehanen covers it. Khlyntsev goes to the bench with his glove off and shaking his hand, so we'll see if he returns.

Icing Lev.

Starosta fires a slapper from the point and it goes wide, Vehanen might have got a piece of it.

Jiri Novotny wins the draw in the attacking zone but Maenpaa can't hold it in at the line and Lev is called on the offside, faceoff moves outside.

Lev goes quickly back the other way and Biryukov makes the save and hangs on.

Now Mikhail Plotnikov tries to take the puck to the Lev net but he's hammered by Martin Sevc as he tries to shoot.

A Lev pass attempt misses its intended target and goes down to Yugra goalie Mikhail Biryukov, who covers it.

Now a slapper from Yevgeni Khvostov but Petri Vehanen makes a glove save and hangs on.

Radek Smolenak with a chance in front for Yugra but he hits Vehanen in the shoulder.

Offside Lev on the stretch pass attempt, faceoff back in their own zone. That last sequence was physical but still no penalties this game.

Play is stopped in the Yugra zone as the puck was played by a Yugra high stick.

Michal Birner winds and fires a slapper than whistles over the Yugra crossbar.

Yugra rush, Smolenak tries to centre for Dixon but he's checked and the puck goes through the crease to the far corner.

Offside Lev.

Justin Azevedo, centring Lev's starting line, attempts the first shot on goal from a weak angle but hits the side of the net.

The national anthems of the Russian Federation and the Czech Republic are complete and the game will start soon.

Lev Praha is wearing their home red uniforms with blue and white trim, red NY Rangers-style pants and blue helmets. Yugra Khanty-Mansysk is wearing their road white uniforms with blue and green trim, blue pants and white helmets.

Starting Lineups:

HC Lev Praha: Vehanen (Engren) – Ševc, Mäenpää, Oystrick, Němec, Jaakola, O'Byrne, Mikuš, Humphries – Ridderwall, Azevedo, Klepiš – Sekáč, Zackrisson, Thörnberg – Birner, Novotný, Řepík – Matai, Cingel, Pacovský

HC Yugra Khanty-Mansysk: Biryukov (Kukin) – Khvostov, Shefer, Trončinský, Pepelyayev, Starosta, Sokolov, Dakov, Petrov – Sitnikov, Zhukov, Knazev – Savinainen, Dixon, Smoleňák – Khlyntsev, Krysanov, Bulyansky – Gusev, Gorbunov, Plotnikov

Referees: Belyayev, Olenin. Linesmen: Zakharenkov, Pavlov.

When Yugra Khanty-Mansysk visited Prague last year, the date was September 24 and it was the ninth game of the young season. Lev won 4-0, in which Erik Christensen became the first Lion ever to record a hat trick and Tomáš Pöpperle recorded his fourth shutout of the young season. Yugra evened the season series on home ice on January 22 with a 4-2 win.

Last season, Yugra barely missed out on the playoffs, finishing 9th in the Eastern Conference with 74 points, 3 behind 8th-place Neftekhimik. So far this season, they remain on the outside looking in with 27 points in their first 24 games for 10th place -- 7 out of the top eight. On Wednesday, they blew a 2-0 lead after two periods in Bratislava and lost 3-2 in a shootout.

The team´s problem has been defence -- in fact, they are tied for the worst defence in the league with 77 goals against. Mikhail Biryukov and Alexei Kuznetsov have both seen a lot of rubber in goal, wtih Biryukov seeing about two thirds of the playing time and the two men sharing four games so far.

The team´s roster is largely anonymous -- the defence is led by Alexei Pepelyaev and Czech national team member Marek Trončinský, and up front they are led by the trio of Vitali Sitnikov -- with a club-leading 9 goals and 16 points -- followed by Jonas Andersson with 11 points and Mikhail Zhukov with 10.

In Wednesday´s 3-2 overtime victory over Avtomobilist, Jakub Klepiš and Martin Ševc both scored for Lev, so they remain the club co-scoring leaders with 12 points each. Lev goes into the game with a full lineup, with the exception of Niko Kapanen, who has been out since late September.

Welcome. This game starts at 19:00 CET local time in Prague, 24:00 YEKT in Khanty-Mansysk, 13:00 EST.