final
Lev Praha
3:0
(0:0, 1:0, 2:0)
Amur Khabarovsk
Derek OBrien
Goals and assists:
27. Taticek (Azevedo, Maenpaa), 50. Novotny (Ullstrom), 52. Vrana (Thornberg, Zackrisson)
Referees: Gusev, Safiullov – Balodis, Menshikh
Attendance:
Penalty missed:
Lev Praha:
Engren (Vehanen) – Ševc, Jaakola, Gragnani, Němec, Mäenpää, O'Byrne – Azevedo, Novotný, Ullström – Tatíček, Zackrisson, Thörnberg – Ridderwall, Vrána, Řepík – Pacovský, Kapanen, Matai – Cingel
Subs:
Coach:
Amur Khabarovsk: Järvinen (Murygin) – A Loginov, Bykov, Sedunov, V Loginov, Reese, Taryaev, Yezhov, Teslenko- Stěpanov, Tarasov, Shishkanov – Lugin, Fisenko, Yunkov – Krikunov, Dubinin, Klimchuk – Katsuba, Smurov, Kopienko
Subs:
Coach:
Subs:
Coach:
Amur Khabarovsk: Järvinen (Murygin) – A Loginov, Bykov, Sedunov, V Loginov, Reese, Taryaev, Yezhov, Teslenko- Stěpanov, Tarasov, Shishkanov – Lugin, Fisenko, Yunkov – Krikunov, Dubinin, Klimchuk – Katsuba, Smurov, Kopienko
Subs:
Coach:
Referees: Gusev, Safiullov – Balodis, Menshikh
Attendance:
Lev power play connects for the 5th time in its last 8 chances. They were all over Jarvinen, attacking the crease, and finally PETR VRANA got it up over the goalie and off the back crossbar. Power-play goal. Assist: Martin Thornberg, Patrik Zackrisson.
First O'Byrne had the shot, save Jarvinen, JIRI NOTOVTNY got the puck back behind the net, out front to Ullstrom for a shot, another save, but Novotny put in the rebound. Asssist: David Ullstrom.
Quality scoring chances: Lev 4 (6), Amur 2 (2).
Lev once again the more dominant team, this time they generated a few more scoring chances and even a goal. Despite the one-sided nature of this game, Amur is still only one shot away from tying it as we go to the third period.
3rd period begins at 20:40 CET, 14:40 EST.
They get several shots on Jarvinen and finally it goes in. First Maenpaa, then Azevedo, and finally PETR TATICEK puts it in with Jarvinen down and out. Assists: Justin Azevedo, Mikko Maenpaa.
Interestingly, Novotny was talking to the ref before the second period faceoff and seemed to be complaining about the hooking of Amur, judging from his gestures, so perhaps that's what earned him the call here. In any event, Lev gets the first power play of the game.
Quality scoring chances: Lev 2, Amur 0.
Lev knows that Amur is going to try to play tight defensively against them and that's what's happened so far. Lev trying to penetrate but nothing big yet. No real offence to speak of on the part of Amur yet.
2nd period begins at 19:52 CET, 13:52 EST.
Lev Praha is wearing their home red uniforms with blue and white trim, red NY Rangers-style pants and blue helmets. Amur Khabarovsk is wearing their road white uniorms with blue trim, blue pants and white helmets.
Lev Praha: Engren (Vehanen) – Ševc, Jaakola, Gragnani, Němec, Mäenpää, O'Byrne – Azevedo, Novotný, Ullström – Tatíček, Zackrisson, Thörnberg – Ridderwall, Vrána, Řepík – Pacovský, Kapanen, Matai – Cingel
Amur Khabarovsk: Järvinen (Murygin) – A Loginov, Bykov, Sedunov, V Loginov, Reese, Taryaev, Yezhov, Teslenko- Stěpanov, Tarasov, Shishkanov – Lugin, Fisenko, Yunkov – Krikunov, Dubinin, Klimchuk – Katsuba, Smurov, Kopienko
Referees: Gusev, Safiullov – Balodis, Menshikh.
At the time, Amur had the worst record in the KHL and it was only their second regulation win in their 11th game of the season. Things haven´t gotten a whole lot better since then, as they are 13th of 14 Eastern Conference teams with 42 points. They enter Friday´s game having lost five in a row, most recently 3-2 in Bratislava on Wednesday.
With 147 goals against, they have the worst defence in the KHL. The shutout against Lev is Murygin´s only one of the season so far, while Finn Mika Jarvinen also has one. The two have split goaltending duties rather evenly.
Muršak and Petružálek continue to be the offensive sparkplugs for Amur, leading the team with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Alexander Yunkov rounds out the top line with 19 points. On defence, veteran Vladimir Loginov leads with 12 points. With namesake Alexander Loginov recently traded to Ufa, next on the list are American Dylan Reese and Russian Denis Yezhov with 7 each.
For Lev, the game was the beginning of a sub-par month of October, but they´ve turned things around in a big way and enter Friday´s game with eight wins in their past nine games. They are currently 3rd place in the Western Conference with 80 points, but four teams are within five points of them.
"(Positioning in the conference) is very important to us. Our goal from the beginning was to be in the top four," says Michal Řepík, who scored his 8th goal of the season in Wednesday´s 4-1 win over Admiral Vladivostok. "But it´s still so close. Only a few points separate a bunch of teams. I think it´ll come down to the very end, and we expect a very difficult road ahead of us."
Řepík was re-united with familiar linemates Petr Vrána and Michal Birner and they showed some of the chemistry that made them the team´s best down the stretch last season. Also clicking in the game was the line of Justin Azevedo, Jiří Novotný and David Ullström, which accounted for two of the goals.