Welcome. Game starts at 12:30 ET / 18:30 CET / 19:30 local time in Riga / 21:30 MSK.

The evening match between Dinamo Riga and Donbass Donetsk is important for both sides in many ways and more than just a regular season game.

Before the last match of the 2013-14 regular season Dinamo Riga are 5th in Western Conference with 93 points in 53 games while their opponents Donbass Donetsk are 4th with 94 points in as many games.

Both will meet in the first round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs but the open question remains who will have the home advantage. Currently this is Donbass. To get the home advantage themselves Dinamo Riga need a win in regulation. An overtime win would not be enough as Donbass has more three point wins (26 vs 22) than their Latvian opponents.

If Donbass really could enjoy a possible home advantage is still in the stars due to the political crisis between Russia and Ukraine and protests in Donbass' home city Donetsk. In any case they want to avoid playing the majority of games in Riga!

A close fight can be expected for the home advantage in the playoffs!

Starting lineups:

Dinamo Riga: Sedlacek (Grinfogels) – Ozolins, J. Redlihs, Robinson, Pujacs, K. Redlihs, Sotnieks – Johnson, Hossa, Darzins, Szczechura, Cipulis, Hascak, Skvorcovs, Upitis, Bicevskis, Begovs, Bukarts, Meija

Donbass Donetsk: Leighton (Laco) – Kolar, Piganovich, Wilson, Podhradsky, Bartulis, Razin, Silnitsky – Wirtanen, Kiiskinen, Laine, Robitaille, Yakutsenya, Dadonov, Kagarlitsky, Kaspar, Varlamov, Blagoi, Zakharov, Toryanik

Referees: Zakharov, Tsyplakov – Ivanov, Nesterov

The national anthems have been played. The Latvian one was performed by a children's choir.

Offensive start by both teams. They can check out weaknesses of their opponents already before both meet again in the playoffs.

Dinamo Riga don't look shocked at all by the early goal against and try to take over the initiative.

Donbass easily free themselves from the pressure and fire the puck deep into the Riga third.

The guests are back at full strength after a harmless Dinamo power play.

The guests conquer the puck deep inside the Dinamo defensive zone but the following shot from the blue line is no danger for the goalie.

Currently the puck goes back and forth without any scoring opportunities.

Teemu Laine fails to stop a long pass at the Dinamo blue line – icing called against Donbass.

2-on-2 counter by Donbass over Dadonov who fails to get a shot on goal and skates behind the net, still without someone in a good passing position or able to shoot himself he tries it with a harmless back hander from within the slot – easy save for Sedlacek.

Sandis Ozolins fails to keep a pass back towards the blue line in the Donbass third and then almost gives a misdirected pass into the skates of a forward... !

Blue line attempt by a Dinamo defender, no danger for Leighton.

Donbass with a long clearance and the puck ends up behind the Dinamo net.

Another long clerance.

Donbass looked again very solid in their penalty killing and are back at full strength right now.

Lukas Kaspar forces his way through the home defense but loses his stick. The game is stopped by the referees after the guest forward tried to give a cross-pass with his skates to the left just in front of the Dinamo net!

The guests neede very long to get their power play formation into position. A shot by Maxim Yakutsenya from the right circle towards the left circle is easily blocked to the side by Sedlacek though.

The hosts are back at full strength after a rather harmless Donbass power play.

Gennady Razin is not attacked at the right circle and tries it with a shot towards the far corner through the traffic but misses the net!

It looks like nothing serious would happen anymore before the first intermission.

Donbass forward Maxim Yakutsenya has the first dangerous shot on target in the middle period but from the right circle he can't beat Sedlacek with a one-timer after receiving a pass from behind the net!

Gints Meija is left alone at the right circle in front of the Donbass net but with a well-placed shot fromt here he isn't able to surprise guest goalie Leighton.

Both teams with long passing combinations but they barely make it ever into the opponents' third.

Hard shot by a Dinamo forward from the left circle but Leighton blocks the puck to the side.

After a long pass that hit the boards behind the Dinamo net, the guests from Donetsk tried to keep the puck inside the home team's third which they managed but they failed to get a shot on target.

Donbass forward Randy Robitaille catches a high pass at the Dinamo blue line but just when he was able to controll the puck behind the net, he lost it against a defender.

After the Dinamo defense failed to clear the puck in their own third, Sergei Varlamov tried it with a powerful shot from close to the left circle but Jakub Sedlacek in the Dinamo net made an easy save.

2-on-4 shorthanded counter by Donbass but they skate into an offside position.

Long clearance by the guests and the puck ends up just next to the Dinamo net.

After a long pass a Dinamo attack is stopped by the referees.

The guests are back at full strength. They showed a strong penalty killing but still allowed one big scoring opportunity for Lauris Darzins.

Gints Meija tries it from just right to the guest net but his wrap-around attempt is blocked by Leighton who also clears the following from close to the left post.

Robinson's one-timer from within the slot is stopped by Leighton.

Lauris Darzins tries it with a shot from the right circle that is no problem for Leighton.

The guests from Donetsk are back at full strength.

A harmless distance shot from behind the red line jumps into the gloves of Leighton.

Delayed penalty against Donbass!

A powerful shot by Dinamo defender Mat Robinson from the blue line is stopped by Leighton.

The guests are back at full strength once more and have killed all the five power plays they faced so far.

The guests were not able to create a really dangerous scoring opportunity and now Dinamo are back at full strength.

Icing against Donbass.

Lauris Darzins has a lot of space on the left wing, skates towards the net but from short distance he is stopped by Leighton with a pad save.

Martins Cipulis has the next opportunity for the home side but from right to the net he fails to surprise the Donbass goalie.

Gunars Skvorcovs receives a very hard check by Jan Kolar inside the Donbass third and lands with his face first on the ice but not penalty for interference is given.

Dinamo Riga defender Mat Robinson with a powerful shot just after crossing the blue line, into the gloves of Leighton.

A long clearance by the hosts is stopped by Dinamo goalie Sedlacek who keeps the puck in game.

Another long clearance and nothing really looks like Dinamo could force the equalizer in the remaining minutes.

Leighton allows a rebound after a blue line shot but the Dinamo offense can't use it and the puck goes wide past the right bottom corner.

The guests from Ukraine are back at full strength.

Jamie Johnson leaves the puck for Gints Meija on the left wing but the following shot is no danger for Leighton and the guest net.

Six and a half minutes are left and the game is really one-sided currently with Dinamo being in attack and Donbass defending and waiting for counters.

Icing by the guests trying to clear the situation in front of their own net.

Marcel Hossa tries it from just left to the left circle but his flat shot towards the left bottom corner is easily stopped by Michael Leighton in the Donbass net.

Dangerous situation when Dinamo goalie Sedlacek skates behidn his net to keep the puck in play but loses it under the pressure of a Donbass forward. In the end the Dinamo defense was able to clear the situation!

A Latvian forward tries to force his way through to the Donbass net but loses the puck and Leighton then easily covers up the puck!

Not much time left on the clock. When will Dinamo react and pull out the goalie?

Teemu Laine and Krisjanis Redlihs with an argument after Laine pushed his opponent. Before Laine had tried it with a back hander from just right to the Dinamo net but was stopped by Sedlacek!

Donbass' Dadonov almost with the break away but he receives an offside call against him.

Donbass play it with aggressive forechecking and force Sedlacek to stay in the net.

The Ukrainians intercept the puck in front of their own net and just send it all the way down to the Dinamo net.

Sedlacek still stays in the net and it looks like he wont leave ti anymore. Donbass have won the home advantage in the playoffs anyway.

Maxim Yakutsenya provokes another offside call against Donbass. That should be it for the guests!