LEV 3:1 MIN | Lev Praha - HC Dinamo Minsk (KHL)

KHL

Traktor – Vityaz	3:2 (end)	\|	Metallurg M – Dynamo	1:0 (1:0 after SO)	\|	Salavat Yulaev – Ak Bars	1:0 (end)
Neftekhimik – Torpedo	3:5 (end)	\|	Lokomotiv – HC Yugra	6:2 (end)	\|	Cherepovets – Avtomobilist	2:1 (end)
CSKA – Medvescak	1:3 (end)	\|	Mytishchi – Avangard	2:0 (end)	\|	SKA St. Petersburg – Barys	3:2 (end)
Riga – Spartak	3:2 (end)	\|	HC Slovan – Donbass	1:2 (end)	\|	Lev – Dinamo Minsk	3:1 (end)

final

Lev Praha

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

HC Dinamo Minsk

Friday 28.02.2014, 19:00 • Tipsport Arena, Prague • KHL

		Welcome. This game starts at 19:00 CET local time in Prague, 20:00 EET in Minsk, 13:00 EST.
		Remaining schedules with 3 games left -- Western Conference: 3. Lev Praha – 93 pts (home vs Minsk, Zagreb, Spartak) 4. Donbass Donetsk – 90 pts (at Bratislava, CSKA, Riga) 5. Dinamo Riga – 90 pts (home vs Spartak, Minsk, Donetsk) HC LEV Praha visited Dinamo Minsk way back on their third game of the season. Back then, everyone was close in the standings and both teams entered the game with 4 points. The Lions won 3-1 and the fortunes of the two teams have been drastically different since then. They now meet in Prague in the third-to-last game of the season for each team. While Lev is in third place in the Western Conference with 93 points, Dinamo is 14th and last with 50. Dinamo has the second-worst offence and fifth-worst defence in the KHL -- not a good combination. Their leading scorer most of the season, Geoff Platt has been dealt to Lokomotiv, leaving Alexei Kalyuzhny to inherit the club lead with 26 points, followed by Andrei Stas with 24 and former Lion Tomáš Surový with 22. Czech Olympian Lukáš Krajíček is the most recognisable name on defence, while Norwegian Olympian Lars Haugen and Canadian Kevin Lalande have been often under siege in goal. Of course, with nothing to play for, they can be a dangerous opponent for Lev, who after Wednesday´s win are third place in the West. Not comfortably, though, so points are still important and the players know not to take anyone lightly. "A team´s position doesn´t really matter that much. Any team can beat anyone else. We just have to play the same way we did (against Donbass) ... play our game and hopefully have the same success," said Justin Azevedo, who scored his 9th goal of the season just 26 seconds into the 4-1 win over Donbass Donetsk. Playing on the top line with Jiří Novotný and David Ullström, they´ll try to duplicate that quick start on Friday. Ondřej Němec missed Wednesday´s game serving the last of a three-game suspension, but he´ll be back in the lineup on Friday. Jakub Klepiš is still out with a hand injury. There are still other teams close to them in the standings -- Donbass and Dinamo Riga are still within reach three points back, while CSKA and Medveščak aren´t out of the picture yet either, but the Lions know that if they win their last three game´s they can finish no worse than third place, so the task at hand is Friday´s game.
		Starting Lineups: Lev Praha: Vehanen (Engren) – Ševc, Mäenpää, Gragnani, Němec, Jaakola, O´Byrne, Nakládal – Azevedo, Novotný, Ullström – Sekáč, Vrána, Thörnberg – Zackrisson, Kapanen, Řepík – Ridderwall, Cingel, Matai – Birner HC Dinamo Minsk: Haugen (Milchakov) – Krajíček, Goroshko, Lintner, Nogachyov, Usenko, Filichkin – Materukhin, Stas, Kalyuzhny – Yefimenko, Surový, Irgl – Zakharov, Kitarov, Gavrus – Protasenya, Drozd, Pavlovich Referees: Bondar, Buturlin. Linesmen: Lazarev, Palei.
		The national anthems of Belarus and the Czech Republic are complete, and the opening faceoff is moments away. Lev Praha is the home team, wearing their red uniforms with blue and white trim, red NY Rangers-style pants and blue helmets. Dinamo Minsk is the visiting team, wearing their white uniforms with two-tone blue trim, royal blue pants and white helmets.
	00:01	Game started.
	01:09	Icing Minsk.
	01:47	Minsk's Tomas Surovy is getting the game's first penalty for shooting the puck out of play from his own zone, so Lev to the early power play.
	02:01	Early in their power play, Justin Azevedo is called for high-sticking, so we'll have 4-on-4 hockey for 1:46. Still no shots on goal this game.
	02:18	Puck out of play in the Minsk zone, faceoff inside, 4-on-4 play continues.
	04:05	Both teams back at full strength, and both 0/1 on brief early power plays.
	04:21	Puck out of play again in the Dinamo zone, faceoff inside.
	04:28	Quick shot from Gragnani off the draw, Lars Haugen catches and holds it for another faceoff.
	06:03	Lev pressing, a point shot from Sevc is blocked but Yevgeni Nogachyov takes a hooking penalty in the ensuing scramble, so Lev back to the power play.
	06:37	One-timer from Novotny in the high slot, pad save Haugen, play continues in the Minsk zone.
	07:42	Goal for Lev! Martin Thornberg was looking shot from the right wing boards but then found NIKO KAPANEN in the slot and he re-directed the pass inside the far post for the opening goal of this game. Power-play goal. Assists: Martin Thornberg, Mikko Maenpaa.
	09:08	Offside Minsk. They still don't have a shot on goal this game.
	09:42	Minsk's first shot is a pretty good chance, Zakharov from the boards to Irgl in front, his one-timer is kicked out by Petri Vehanen from point blank.
	11:04	Another Minsk rush, Alexander Pavlovich with the wrister, right on Vehanen, who holds on.
	11:09	Goal for Dinamo Minsk! Right off the draw, the puck comes back to RICHARD LINTNER at the point, and he let a shot go that pinballs through traffic in front, then snuck through Vehanen and crawled over the line. The Lev goalie didn't see that one at all. Assists: Artur Gavrus, Alexander Kitarov.
	11:55	Play back into the Minsk zone, Ondrej Nemec blasts it from the point and hits the goalpost.
	13:13	Puck deflects out of play in the Lev zone, faceoff inside.
	14:28	Petr Vrana is caught trying to slow up a Minsk forward on a rush and is called for hooking. Minsk to their second power play, though their first was very short.
	14:43	Lukas Krajicek with a wrister from the point that goes wide.
	15:32	Slapper from the point by Lintner, kicked out by Vehanen and then the puck is iced.
	16:03	Lev clearing attempt goes off the glass and out of play, faceoff inside with :25 left in the penalty.
	17:00	Lev back at full strength, play in the Minsk zone.
	17:40	A slapper from Jakub Matai from the top of the circle is caught and held by Haugen.
	17:44	Alexei Kalyuzhny is called for high sticking in his own zone right off the faceoff. Lev to the power play, they're 1/2.
	18:01	Now Justin Azevedo is hauled down by Richard Lintner driving to the net and is called for hooking. Lev 5-on-3 for 1:43.
	18:30	Azevedo across to Kapanen for the one-timer, sliding save Haugen, then back to the point and a blocker save.
	19:05	Lev buzzing the net, mad scramble in front, play continues.
	19:23	Finally Lars Haugen covers it. He's had a lot of work this past minute. :20 left in the first penalty, :37 in the second.
	19:47	Maenpaa from the point, stick save, one penalty is over.
	20:00	1st period finished.
		Lev was the dominant team in the first half of that period and opened the scoring on the power play, then Minsk came back with some good pressure in the middle part of the period and tied it up. Late in the period, Lev had a lengthy 2-man advantage and did everything but score. Just :01 remains in their power play at the end of the period. Shots on goal in the 1st period: Lev Praha 13, Dinamo Minsk 7. Quality scoring chances: Lev Praha 4, Dinamo Minsk 2. 2nd period begins at 19:50 CET, 13:50 EST.
		The teams are back on the ice and the 2nd period will start shortly. Lev had a 2-man advantage late in the first period, and we begin the second with just :01 left in Richard Lintner's hooking minor.
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
	21:51	Cross-crease pass to Tomas Surovy for the one-timer, but Petri Vehanen slides across and deflects it up and out of play.
	22:49	Long shot from the neutral zone goes right on Vehanen, who holds on for another faceoff in the Lev zone.
	23:05	Protasenya with the wrister from the point through traffic, blocker save Vehanen.
	23:38	Minsk with an energetic start to this period, but Sergei Drozd is called for high-sticking in the attacking zone. Lev to the power play, 1/4 today.
	24:35	Martin Sevc with the slapper from the point, hits Haugen and goes to the corner.
	25:17	Gragnani with a couple of drives from the point, I don't think either one got through.
	25:43	Zackrisson with the low slapper, kicked out by Haugen just after Minsk got back to full strength.
	26:57	Wraparound attempt from Michal Repik but Haugen gives nothing on the near side and covers. Minsk had early pressure this period but now it seems Lev is starting to get their game back.
	27:06	Ondrej Nemec tries a wraparound going the opposite direction but he's blocked from getting to the front of the net.
	27:58	Minsk back the other way, and a wrister from Alexei Kalyuzhny is deflected right on Vehanen, who holds on.
	29:26	Icing Minsk.
	30:55	Materyukin works himself into prime shooting range but misfires and his shot dribbles wide.
	31:30	Now Zbynek Irgl with a hard low shot, stick save Vehanen.
	32:13	Offside Minsk.
	32:25	Jiri Sekac circles the net, feeds Patrik Zackrisson in front but he just misses the top corner on Haugen's stick side.
	32:53	Icing Minsk.
	33:00	Lev with corntrol off the draw, Repik the shot, blocker save Haugen.
	33:09	Michal Repik again right in front but he's robbed by Lars Haugen, then a scramble and it's covered, and some pushing and shoving after the whistle.
	34:00	Matai tries to go high near side from the boards but Haugen gives no room and deflects it behind the net.
	35:17	Offside Lev, faceoff at centre ice. Minsk want an intentional offside call and a faceoff in the Lev zone, but the linesman disagrees.
	35:42	Azevedo with a slapper from the high slot that whistles just wide, goes off the end boards and back to Haugen, who covers.
	36:29	A Lev 3-on-2 but they don't get a shot and then a Minsk 2-on-1 the other way, they don't get a shot either. Then Lev rush back again but are called offside. Real end-to-end sequence there.
	38:25	A shot comes from a scramble in the Lev zone, right on Vehanen, who covers.
	38:39	Offside Lev.
	38:57	RIghard Lintner ties up Jiri Novotny near the Minsk blueline and is called for hooking. Lev with a power play late in the second period, 1/5 today.
	39:46	Lev move the puck around but don't get a shot, then it's iced.
	39:56	Offside Lev, trying for one last rush in the period.
	40:00	2nd period finished.
		Some chances both ways, but nobody scores in the second period and it's still 1-1. Lev will begin the third period with a power play for :57. Shots on goal in the 2nd period (and game): Lev Praha 9 (22), Dinamo Minsk 9 (16). Quality scoring chances: Lev Praha 3 (7), Dinamo Minsk 2 (4). 3rd period begins at 20:38 CET, 14:38 EST.
		The teams are back on the ice and the 3rd period will begin shortly. Once again, the period begins with Richard Lintner in the penalty box, this time :57 remains in his penalty.
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
	40:30	Minsk begin the period with 2 quick clears on the PK.
	41:05	Minsk back at full strength, Sekac gets a shot on goal just after the penalty ends, stopped by Haugen and then Minsk called for icing.
	41:36	Another chance for Sekac, he fires wide this time.
	42:06	Tomas Surovy with a wrister from the off wing, deflected wide by Vehanen.
	42:17	Another Minsk drive and this time Vehanen covers.
	44:20	Lev rush, Sekac's shot tipped just wide.
	45:15	Vrana a wrister from the boards, hits Haugen up high, play continues in the Minsk zone.
	45:42	Icing Lev.
	46:35	Icing Lev again.
	47:48	Slapper from Thornberg, pad save Haugen.
	48:47	The puck slides to Lars Haugen and he covers, a Lev stick got in there and now we get some pushing and shoving after the whistle, but nothing will come of it.
	49:30	Surovy goes wide, centres for Irgl but Vehanen with a pad save.
	49:49	Offside Lev.
	50:15	Gavrus with the high wrister on a Minsk rush, shoulder save Vehanen.
	51:32	Sevc goes low, centres for Marc-Andre Gragnani at the top of the circle but his shot is right on Haugen, who covers.
	52:24	Alexander Materukhin catches Ondrej Nemec with a knee and spins him around at the Minsk blueline, he's going off for kneeing. Lev to the power play, 1/6 today.
	52:28	Gragnani with the slapper from the point off the draw, kicked out by Haugen.
	53:10	Zbynek Irgl goes 1-on-1 shorthanded, stick save Vehanen, Lev start back.
	53:45	Azevedo's wrister from the faceoff dot is deflected off target.
	54:05	The puck is now deflected out of play off a Lev player, so the faceoff is outside the Minsk zone with :19 left in the penalty.
	54:30	A shot is blocked and Irgl led another shorthanded rush, didn't get a shot but did kill off the rest of the penalty.
	55:32	Low wrister from the blueline by Ondrej Nemec, stick save Haugen and he covers.
	55:44	Maenpaa attempts a couple of shots from the point, both blocked.
	56:15	Thornberg with a long wrister, stick save Haugen.
	56:30	Goal for Lev! Jiri Sekac drove hard to the net with the puck, Haugen stopped him but MARTIN THORNBERG followed it up and put in the rebound. Lars Haugen is furious, claiming Sekac's knee hit him in the head. It did, but he was driven into the goalie by a defenceman. Assist: Jiri Sekac.
	56:30	Artur Gavrus collided heavily into the end boards after the goal and injured his knee. Training staff is out attending on him, and he's helped off.
	58:06	Timeout Dinamo Minsk.
	58:30	Play moves into the Lev zone, Lars Haugen goes to the bench for a sixth attacker.
	58:37	Vehanen covers the puck and we'll have a big faceoff in the Lev zone.
	58:46	Slapper from Kalyuzny deflects high, then Vehanen makes a stick save under pressure.
	59:15	Minsk pass it around the zone but a pass misses and they have to go back to their own end to retrieve it.
	59:29	Goal for Lev! Minsk tried to re-enter the Lev zone but the puck came to TOPI JAAKOLA, and he fired it from just inside his own blueline and into the empty Minsk net. Unassisted, empty-net goal.
	60:00	Game over.
		Lev get a scare from a Dinamo Minsk team that played with no fear, but in the end they get the win and the 3 points. Lev now have 96 points, and cannot finish lower than 5th place. Dinamo Riga and Donbass Donetsk both win and keep pace, each have 93 points. (21:45:12)

Commentary by

Derek OBrien

@@Djob76

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 8. Kapanen (Thornberg, Maenpaa), 57. Thornberg (Sekac), 60. Jaakola – 12. Lintner (Gavrus, Kitarov)

Lev Praha: Vehanen (Engren) – Ševc, Mäenpää, Gragnani, Němec, Jaakola, O´Byrne, Nakládal – Azevedo, Novotný, Ullström – Sekáč, Vrána, Thörnberg – Zackrisson, Kapanen, Řepík – Ridderwall, Cingel, Matai – Birner

HC Dinamo Minsk: Haugen (Milchakov) – Krajíček, Goroshko, Lintner, Nogachyov, Usenko, Filichkin – Materukhin, Stas, Kalyuzhny – Yefimenko, Surový, Irgl – Zakharov, Kitarov, Gavrus – Protasenya, Drozd, Pavlovich

Referees: Bondar, Buturlin – Lazarev, Palei

1st period
	01:47
	02:01
	06:03
	07:42
	11:09
	14:28
	17:44
	18:01
1st intermission
2nd period
	23:38
	38:57
2nd intermission
3rd period
	52:24
	56:30
	59:29
Final