ZAG 4:2 MYT | Medvescak Zagreb - Atlant Mytishchi (KHL)

KHL

Khabarovsk – Salavat Yulaev	0:1 (end)	\|	Admiral – Neftekhimik	0:1 (end)	\|	Novokuznetsk – Metallurg M	3:4 (end)
Novosibirsk – Traktor	3:2 (after OT)	\|	Spartak – Lokomotiv	1:3 (end)	\|	Dinamo Minsk – Cherepovets	2:1 (1:0 after SO)
Medvescak – Mytishchi	4:2 (end)	\|	Donbass – SKA St. Petersburg	4:2 (end)

final

Medvescak Zagreb

4:2 (1:0, 2:1, 1:1)

Atlant Mytishchi

Thursday 23.01.2014, 17:30 • KHL

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		Despite scoring early in the third period Atlant never found a way to put Medvescak into real trouble. Instead Bill Thomas answered soon and made the 4-2 win for the home side perfect! For Medvescak it was just another step towards a good playoff seed while Atlant have to fear for their playoff qualification more than ever after their third consecutive loss in the league. Shots on goal: Medvescak 13 (35) – Atlant 11 (26)
	60:00	Game over.
	59:30	The Medvescak fans are celebrating their team very loud! Great atmosphere in Arena Zagreb!
	59:05	The guests are not able to keep the puck inside the Medvescak third and they don't even pull their goalie – a clear sign that they have given up.
	58:15	Less than two minutes left to play and the Atlant goalie is still in the net. Will Galimov leave the net at all?
	57:33	2-on-1 counter opportunity for Medvescak but a weak pass by Matt Murley into the back of his own team mate from the right circle, destroys the attack!
	55:45	With every minute gone from the clock the Atlant players are looking more desperate. So far they are able to keep the game still open.
	53:49	Icing by Medvescak during a clearing attempt from within their own zone.
	53:17	All three players are back out of the penalty box and we continue with the regular 5 vs 5 on the ice.
	52:25	Igor Levitsky tries it from the left wing but his shot is blocked by a Croatian defender.
	51:37	One-timer by the guests from the right circle towards the right top corner and Dekanich has to use all his skills to somehow catch the puck with his glove hand!
	51:17	Michael Ryan (Medvescak) gets two minutes for slashing. Now the penalty come one after another and there is not much flow in the game. A long 4 on 3 power play for Atlant!
	51:04	Evgeny Artyukhin (Atlant) gets two minutes for charging after he hit Medvescak goalie Mark Dekanich in the attempt to deflect a blue line shot into the net... This will be a long 4 on 4 if nothing else happens in the meantime.
	50:58	Two minute penalty against Medvescak for having too many players on the ice. Charles Linglet sits down in the penalty box for his team.
	48:58	Oleg Yashin only hits the body of a defender with his shot after one of his team colleagues was denied a goal with a wrap-around! That was very, very close! A lot of luck for Medvescak.
	48:25	Both Atlant penalties are over and the guests from Russia are back at full strength. It's still 4-2 Medvescak with quite a time left to go in this third period.
	48:07	Bill Thomas receives the puck at the right circle and has an almost free shooting range but his one-timer hits his own team mate who waited in front of the net...
	47:24	Several scoring attemps by the Medvescak power play formation but they can't make it past Galimov. The three Atlant players are defending very well right now.
	46:25	Yuri Trubachyov (Atlant) gets two mnutes for slashing – it's a 5 on 3 situation now for Medvescak.
	46:16	Oleg Yashin (Atlant) gets two minutes for hooking. So far Medvescak are 0 for 2 but this penalty couldn't come in a worse moment for the guests.
	45:51	Goal for Medvescak Zagreb! With a shot from the right circle into the left bottom corner BILL THOMAS surprises Galimov and makes it 4-2 Medvescak! An important goal just when Atlant seemed to find back into the match! Assisted by Jonathan Cheechoo.
	44:18	Matt Murley tries it from the right circle but the Medvescak forward isn't able to put enough accuracy into his attempt to score into the right top corner and Atlant goalie Galimov catches the puck!
	43:04	Goal for Atlant! And suddenly Atlant are able to cut the deficit to just one goal! A shot by Alexander Kadeikin from the right wing is blocked by Dekanich who allows a rebound and then EVGENY ARTYUKHIN somehow gets the puck over the goal line from short distance in the duel with the last defender! Assisted by Alexander Kadeikin and Rafael Batyrshin.
	42:57	Atlant finally show a reaction but the shot by Alexei Petrov from the blue line stays harmless.
	41:45	Atlant are being forced back deep into their own third and barely can free themselves from the high pressure by Medvescak in these first minutes of the period.
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
		Sergei Shmelyov scored the surprising equalizer for Atant early in the second period but a double by Matt Ellison – both times asssisted by line mate Charles Linglet – within less than three minutes let Medvescak run away with a rather comfortable 3-1 lead after 40 minutes. Shots on goal: Medvescak 13 (22) – Atlant 9 (15)
	40:00	2nd period finished.
	39:09	Michael Ryan almost decides the match for the home side after receiving a puck from behind the net – big save by Galimov who is able to block the puck with his body!
	38:21	Atlant defender Rafael Batyrshin tries it from the right wing at height of the blue line – no danger for Medvescak goalie Dekanich despite seeing the puck late with an own defender in front of himself.
	36:41	Nikita Shoshnikov leaves the puck for his team and line mate Igor Levitsky at the right circle in front of the Medvescak net but the following shot is no real danger for Dekanich.
	36:04	After one of the Atlant defenders was almost pushed into his own goalie, there was a little fight but the situation is cleared without penalties.
	35:39	2-on-2 attack by the Medvescak offense but Michael Ryan misses the puck in an one-timer attempt after the following cross-pass.
	34:11	Medvescak with another dangerous shot directly after a won face off, goes wide by inches.
	34:06	A blue line shot by the hosts goes straight intot he gloves of Galimov.
	33:08	Levitsky – who earlier this period was stopped only by the goal post with a shot from a very sharp angle from close to the right circle – appears free in front of Dekanich but only hits the goalie with his shot from short distance! Atlant stays dangerous!
	31:57	One-timer by Medvescak's Mike Iggulden from within the slot, big pad save by Galimov.
	31:34	After a great fight by a team mate to keep the puck inside the Atlant third it was Matt Murley whose great one-handed stick handling made a big opportunity possible for Medvescak but after playing the puck with the tip of his hockey stick after waiting completely alone just in front of the net the puck was stopped by Galimov! What a chance!
	30:29	Linglet and Ellison try it once more witht their today very successful combination but suddenly Ellison slips on the ice just before the Atlant goalie crease and the chance is gone...
	29:00	Michael Ryan tries to surprise Galimov with a wrap-around after not finding a team mate in a good passing position but Galimov gets his right skate into the way and blocks the shot!
	27:18	Goal for Medvescak Zagreb! With a pretty strange goal Medvescak get a two-goal advantage in this game for the first time! Guest goalie Galimov wasn't able to stop a hard shot by Charles Linglet from the left circle and allowed a rebound which was used by MATT ELLISON from short distance who scored with his back to the net and not even looking towards it! Assisted by Charles Linglet.
	26:05	The home side is controlling the action on the ice completely again by now. Atlant look a bit shocked.
	24:27	Goal for Medvescak Zagreb! For the second time in this match Medvescak gain the lead just after a winning a face off and again they surprise the camera team in the arena. Charles Linglet came from the right circle, skated behind the net and gave a perfect cross-pass to MATT ELLISON who just had to deflect the puck past the goalie with the tip of his stick – 2-1 Medvescak! Assisted by Charles Linglet.
	23:56	Medvescak try to give a fast answer and invest more into this match again. A shot by Matt Murley from the right circle towards the right top corner was caught easily though by Galimov.
	22:20	Goal for Atlant! SERGEI SHMELYOV scored the equalizer for Atlant in what looked like a rather harmless attack. He received a long pass by Alexander Kadeikin at the Medvescak blue line, skated a few steps and fired the puck into the right corner past the completely surprised home goalie Dekanich! What a shocker for the Bears! Assisted by Alexander Kadeikin and Evgeny Artyukhin.
	21:57	A misdirected pass by a Russian defender gave Medvescak the puck and after a first shot was blocked, the following blue line attempt by defender Mark Popovic made it through but was stopped by Galimov.
	21:19	Atlant started with a man more into the middle period due to the penatly against Kane late in the previous period but they weren't really able to make anything out of it. Medvescak are back at full strength without facing a dangerous shot in the second period so far.
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
		Home side Medvescak started well into the match and created several good opportunities of whcih they used one following a won face off. Atlant became stronger around the mid of the period without really convincing yet. With this 1-0 for Medvescak everything stays completely open after 20 minutes. Shots on goal: Medvescak 9 – Atlant 6
	20:00	1st period finished.
	19:19	Boyd Kane (Medvescak) gets two minutes for hooking.
	18:30	Both teams have become a lot more cautious at the end of this first period and there is not much going on in front of each net.
	17:05	The hosts are back at full strength and in the end they can be happy after a series of dangerous shots by Atlant in the last seconds of their most recent power play.
	16:07	Oleg Yashin just misses a long pass by Igor Radulov at the second post of the Medvescak net and the hosts are able to clear the situation....
	15:05	Kurt Foster (Medvescak) gets two minutes for tripping. Atlant now also have their second men advantage of the evening.
	14:34	Just before the guests were at full strenght again Mark Katic tried to get through on his own but caused an offside call as his team mates weren't able to make it back into the neutral zone in time.
	13:57	The play on the ice stops after guest goalie Galimov pushed the net out of his original position – according to the referees unintentional as no penalty is given for it!
	13:16	Charles Linglet gives a dangerous cross pass from the right circle towards the left post but the players of both teams miss the puck!
	12:38	Alexei Petrov (Atlant) gets two minutes for hooking.
	12:38	After Medvescak forward Jonathan Cheechoo was denied a goal by Galimov when he tried to deke him out from short distance, there was a delayed penalty against his direct opponent and his Medvescak team mates continued to battle for the puck – almost scoring with a wrap around. After attacking the goalie a bit too heavy the situation ended with a minor argument between several players of both teams!
	11:42	Medvescak defender Ryan O'Connor tries it with a distance shot but misses the net to the right...
	10:33	Evgeny Artyukhin went for the 1-on-1 situation but wasn't able to get enoguh accuracy into his shot from close to the right circle...
	10:05	Atlant are back at full strength.
	09:42	With a long clearance the guests are able to calm down the situation on the ice a bit.
	09:17	After a pass by Bill Thomas back to the blue line the following one-timer by his team mate went wide...
	08:16	After a fast passing combination just in front of the Atlant net it was Matt Murley who barely missed the puck with his stick waiting at the right post with the net wide open!
	08:05	Defender Maxim Velikov (Atlant) gets two minutes for tripping during the attempt to conquer the puck deep inside the Medvescak zone... First power play for the hosts!
	07:08	The hosts are back at full strength after a strong penalty killing.
	06:40	After a misunderstanding among the guests during the attempt to start an attack in their own third, the Medvescak offense went in between and almost won the puck just in front of Atlant goalie Galimov!
	06:21	Another long clearance by the Bears that forces Atlant back into the own third.
	05:52	The hosts play it calm and are able to keep the puck away fromt heir net in this Atlant power play so far.
	05:08	Charles Linglet (Medvescak) gets two minutes for tripping after he failed to stop Alexei Petrov in a fair way inside the neutral zone. It's the first penalty of the game.
	04:22	Alexei Mikhnov receives the puck inside the neutral zone and tries to force his way through the home defense but the last defender deflected the following shot from the blue line with his stick and the puck went out of play.
	03:20	Atlant's Alexander Kadeikin with a solo via the left wing, his shot goes wide...
	02:38	Ryan Vesce waits for a rebound at the right post after escaping his guard but Galimov is able to cover the puck up after a shot from within the slot.
	02:05	Goal for Medvescak Zagreb! The Croatians win the following face off in the Atlant third and after a short pass to the right by Mike Iggulden it is MIKE GLUMAC who beats Gallimov from short distance to score the early 1-0 lead for the home side! Assisted by Mike Iggulden.
	02:02	Mike Glumac gets the puck in the left corner of the Atlant third, skates towards the left circle and fires the puck towards the net but Galimov stops the shot.
	01:38	On the other side of the ice we just had 2 or 3 decent shots on goal by the guests from Western Russia without creating too much danger yet.
	00:49	Next shot on goal by the Bears, this time from the right circle, and again Galimov makes a save with his chest.
	00:35	Medvescak start aggressively and already have their first opportunity after a little more than half a minute but the shot from short distance after a pass from behind the net was stopped by the chest of the guest goalie.
	00:01	Game started.
		This match is part of a series of KHL matches that are being played in the bigger Arena Zagreb (capacity: 15,000) instead of the regular Medvescak home rink Dom Sportova (up to 7,500).
		The teams are waiting on the ice and the national anthems of Russia and Croatia are being played. The game starts in a few minutes!
		Starting lineups: Medvescak Zagreb: Dekanich (Westlund) – Popovic, Martinovic, Svarny, Foster, Klubertanz, Katic, O'Connor – Thomas, Cheechoo, Murley, Linglet, Vesce, Ellison, Glumac, Ryan, Iggulden, Nystrom, Murray, Kane, Bjorkstrand Atlant Mytishchi: Galimov (Borisov) – Niskala, Batyrshin, Atyushov, Rukavishnikov, Novopashin, Velikov, Petrov – Mikhnov, Trubachyov, Koltsov, Mayorov, Radulov, Yashin, Artyukhin, Kadeikin, Shmelyov, Haataja, Levitsky, Dorofeyev, Soshnikov Referees: Kadyrov, Kiselyov – Sadovnikov, Shelyanin
		Hosts Medvescak Zagreb, KHL's newcomers from Croatia, are where Atlant Mytishchi would love to be – on a playoff spot in Western Conference. The Bears from Zagreb play an impressive first season in Russia's elite hockey ligue and currently hold the 7th position in the West with 78 points in 47 games. They have a 15 point advantage towards the first non-playoff spot, the 9th in the West, which is held by today's opponent Atlant Mytishchi who gained 63 points in 46 games and have themselves a six point deficit towards the last playoff spot (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, 69 points). Medvescak are having a very stable month of January with 4 wins and 3 losses. During a recent five match road trip they conquered a total of 10 points but lost the last time against Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (0-2) on Monday. For Atlant it was an even split with 4 wins and 4 games in their 8 January games. Most recently they suffered a bit on home ice against top teams Dynamo Moscow (1-3) and Ak Bars Kazan (1-2 OT). A close game between both sides can expected with Medvescak being in the role as the favourites. If they can improve their position in the fight for the playoffs or if Atlant can come a bit closer, we'll see later this afternoon!
		Welcome. Game starts at 16:30 GMT / 17:30 CET (local time in Zagreb) / 20:30 MSK.

Commentary by

Dennis Mende

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 3. Glumac (Iggulden), 25. Ellison (Linglet), 28. Ellison (Linglet), 46. Thomas (Cheechoo) – 23. Shmelyov (Kadeikin, Artyukhin), 44. Artyukhin (Kadeikin, Batyrshin)

Medvescak Zagreb: Dekanich (Westlund) – Popovic, Martinovic, Svarny, Foster, Klubertanz, Katic, O'Connor – Thomas, Cheechoo, Murley, Linglet, Vesce, Ellison, Glumac, Ryan, Iggulden, Nystrom, Murray, Kane, Bjorkstrand

Atlant Mytishchi: Galimov (Borisov) – Niskala, Batyrshin, Atyushov, Rukavishnikov, Novopashin, Velikov, Petrov – Mikhnov, Trubachyov, Koltsov, Mayorov, Radulov, Yashin, Artyukhin, Kadeikin, Shmelyov, Haataja, Levitsky, Dorofeyev, Soshnikov

Referees: Kadyrov, Kiselyov – Sadovnikov, Shelyanin

1st period
	02:05
	05:08
	08:05
	12:38
	15:05
	19:19
1st intermission
2nd period
	22:20
	24:27
	27:18
2nd intermission
3rd period
	43:04
	45:51
	46:16
	46:25
	50:58
	51:04
	51:17
Final