SBA 2:3 ZAG | HC Slovan Bratislava - Medvescak Zagreb (KHL)

KHL

Admiral – Khabarovsk	4:1 (end)	\|	Novosibirsk – Novokuznetsk	6:5 (end)	\|	Traktor – Ak Bars	2:3 (0:1 after SO)
Metallurg M – Torpedo	4:2 (end)	\|	Salavat Yulaev – Vityaz	3:2 (end)	\|	Neftekhimik – Dynamo	2:4 (end)
Lokomotiv – Barys	4:1 (end)	\|	Cherepovets – Avangard	1:2 (end)	\|	Mytishchi – Avtomobilist	2:3 (end)
SKA St. Petersburg – HC Yugra	1:2 (end)	\|	CSKA – Dinamo Minsk	3:0 (end)	\|	Riga – Donbass	0:1 (end)
HC Slovan – Medvescak	2:3 (end)	\|	Lev – Spartak	2:3 (0:1 after SO)

final

HC Slovan Bratislava

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

Medvescak Zagreb

Tuesday 04.03.2014, 19:00 • Slovnaft Arena • KHL

		Welcome. Game starts at 19:00.
		Good evening everyone and welcome to this KHL regular championship between Slovan Bratislava and Medvescak Zagreb. This game will decide who Medvescak will play with in the first round of the upcoming playoffs, but Slovan won't be willing to lie down easily.
		Slovan have had quite a disappointing season, and they will miss out on the playoffs this season as their late push for eighth place ran out of steam. They sit in 11th place of the Western Conference and the result today cannot change that at all. Their opponents Medvescak in their first season of KHL hockey will be in the playoffs however, as they are currently in 6th place of the Western Conference with 89 points and a win here will make sure that they will play against Lev Prague in the first playoff round.
		Today's hosts have lost their last two after winning the four previous, and they will want to give their fans something to cheer about today. Medvescak are on patchy form having won three and lost three of their last six matches and will be looking to get back to winning ways tonight.
		The first game between these two teams this season finished with a 4-3 overtime win for Slovan in Zagreb.
		Starting lineups: HC Slovan Bratislava: Janus (Kopriva)- Stajnoch, Luza, Sigalet, Mojzis, Skoula, Mihalik, Brejcak- T Mikus, Satan, Miklik, Bliznak, Stastny, Bartovic, Dano, J Mikus, Vondrka, Bakos, Olvecky, Hudacek, Radivojevic Medvescak Zagreb: Brust (Dekanich)- O'Connor, Klubertanz, Popovic, Svarny, Martinovic, Foster, Katic- Linglet, Thomas, Nystrom, Glumac, Murray, Cheechoo, Vesce, Ryan, Murley, Kane, Jessiman, Bjorkstrand, Ellison Referees: Naumov, Deev, Pavlov, Menshykh.
		Both teams are now emerging out on to the ice and after the national anthems of Slovakia and Croatia we will be getting underway!
	00:01	Game started.
	00:32	Medvescak have the first attack of the game picking up the loose puck at center ice, but the eventual shot drifts wide of the right hand post
	01:03	Ellison! Big early chance for the visitors to take the lead! Matt Ellison drives hard to the net and Jaroslav Janus in the Slovan net does really well to keep that one out!
	02:03	The atmosphere inside the Slovnaft Arena is red hot as Medvescak ice the puck
	02:26	Medvescak have certainly taken charge early on but they have picked up a cheap penalty, Michael Ryan for roughing has been called
	02:50	Miklik one times the puck from the left faceoff circle and Brust is there at his near post!
	04:13	Satan! The Slovan legend fires directly into Barry Brust from the doorstep with no one around him!
	04:26	Medvescak are now back at full strength
	05:14	Brust emerges from his net to clear away a pass into his crease and he only just manages to make contact!
	06:35	Goal for Slovan! It's been a fast and furious start to the game and Slovan draw first blood! MARKO DANO bats the puck out of midair and into the net as a rebound pops out from the crease and it's 1-0! Assists- Peter Olvecky
	07:38	Slovan ice the puck. The tempo is really high along with fantastic support from the home fans for Slovan and it's shaping up to be an exciting game
	08:09	Olvecky! What a move by the forward! He jinks in and around the Medvescak defence, but shoots only into Brust's chest!
	08:13	The visitors have picked up another penalty, Brust for holding has been penalised and Hugh Jessiman will sit this one out for him
	08:49	That powerplay didn't last for long though. Vladimir Mihalik for interference has been sent to the penalty box now for Slovan
	09:32	Stajnoch! Just after a goalmouth scramble at the other end Stajnoch breaks away two on one and Brust denies him blocker side!
	10:13	Medvescak are now back at full strength and have just over 30 seconds powerplay time
	10:36	Foster! Free on the right side of the crease the puck gets stuck under his stick with only Janus left to beat!
	10:49	Slovan are now also back at full strength and it's a five on five hockey game again
	11:42	Janus covers up a low attempt coming into his right hand post comfortably
	12:52	Charles Linglet wrists the puck wide of Janus's net from distance with the netminder at full stretch
	13:46	Cheechoo! As the puck comes into the slot he tries to force it under Janus but he's crowded out!
	14:10	The visitors move offside
	14:35	Janus is coming under more and more pressure and his defenders have to be alert to clear the dangerous bouncing puck!
	15:06	The puck is iced by the Croatians
	15:30	Janus comes out around his net for the puck but loses it, he's lucky that he got away with that!
	16:51	The referees have punished Slovan for having too many men on the ice and Medvescak will go on the powerplay with Martin Bakos sitting this one out for the hosts
	17:46	Janus kicks away a long wrister from the point as Medvescak look to get set up in the zone
	18:47	Branko Radivojevic skates away on his own shorthanded on the right flank, and forces Brust to cover up with a testing wrist shot
	18:51	And Slovan are now back at full strength
	19:30	We're now into the final 30 seconds of an enjoyable first period
	19:56	Slovan ice the puck just as the buzzer is waiting to sound
	20:00	1st period finished.
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
	20:38	Janus again makes a poor mistake when behind his net and his defenders help him out. Slovan will be looking to keep the game tight at 1-0 up
	21:44	Brust makes his first save of the second period sending away a powerful drive from the right hand boards
	22:02	Icing is committed by Medvescak
	23:52	Slovan move offside.Both teams are seizing each other up in this period so far and waiting for one another to make the first move
	24:13	A quick Slovan counterattack is finished off with a sweeping attempt from an awkward angle on the left and Brust does well to turn it away!
	24:56	Linglet! Cutting into the slot from the left flank he can't find room for a backhand attempt!
	25:15	Radivojevic! His rasping wrister looking for the far left hand post whistles only just wide of the target!
	26:08	Goal for Medvescak! Out of nothing the visitors are on terms! Janus holds on to what looks like a harmless attempt from the left flank but he lets it slip through him for MIKE GLUMAC to stuff the puck home, it's 1-1!
	26:30	Jonathan Sigalet for tripping has been called into the penalty box and right away after equalising Medvescak are now going on the powerplay
	26:47	For interference Kurtis Foster has ended that rather brief powerplay for Medvescak and for now it's a four on four hockey game
	27:39	Katic! Linglet finds him unmarked at the point, but Katic drives his attempt wide of the target!
	28:31	Slovan are now back at full strength and they have 16 seconds on the powerplay
	28:47	Unsurprisingly they couldn't create anything in that time and Medvescak are now also back at full strength
	29:01	Bobby Ryan on a breakaway puts the puck across the crease wheere none of his teammates are
	29:29	The penalties keep on coming and this time it's against Andrey Stastny for tripping who will have two minutes out of the game
	30:57	Kane! He has open ice in front of him but he takes it early and can't find the target!
	31:26	Goal for Medvescak! A flowing attacking move is finished off by KURTIS FOSTER who by the right hand post wrists the puck into the far corner, powerplay goal and it's 2-1! Assists- Matt Murley and Jonathan Cheechoo
	32:37	Andrew Murray cuts sharply into the crease, tries desperately to force it through Janus's body but the netminder stands tall!
	32:37	And for roughing in that incident Murray himself and Tomas Mojzis have both been sent to the penalty box
	33:45	Cheechoo for tripping right under the referee's nose has been penalised and Slovan have a powerplay opportunity to try and turn the tide
	34:11	Radivojevic tires to direct a heavy slapshot on target but just fails in doing so!
	34:37	Murray and Mojzis are both now back on the ice but with Cheechoo still in the penalty box Slovan's powerplay continues
	35:31	Miklik! Michal Vondrka finds him with a brilliant pass at the far post but from point blank range he some how makes a mess of it!
	36:06	Goal for Slovan! We're all tied up! MILAN BARTOVIC finishes off a superb attack with a powerful drive from the right faceoff circle that goes directly through Brust and into the net, it's 2-2! Assists- Juraj Mikus and Libor Hudacek
	37:31	Both teams exchange very dangerous attacks as Janus and Brust have to make very alert saves! Both teams are looking pumped up with the score level at 2-2
	37:59	Hudacek! He twists inside his defender, looks to catch Brust out with a tricky snapshot but the goalkeeper flashes leather!
	39:30	We're now into the final 30 seconds of a very entertaining second period
	40:00	2nd period finished.
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
	40:13	Goal for Medvescak! Just thirteen seconds into the third period Medvescak once again take the lead! MATT MURLEY takes control of the puck by the left hand boards, beats his defender and finds the far corner of the net with a rasping drive, it's 3-2! Assists- Jonathan Cheechoo
	41:30	It will be interesting to see Slovan's reaction to that lightning quick goal, they can ill afford to let this game get away from them
	42:23	The hosts ice the puck
	42:25	Right off the faceoff draw Janus at the second attempt manages to deal with a sharp wrist shot
	43:04	Linglet! Two on one for the visitors and Linglet's backhand pass across the slot misses the intended target!
	44:24	Medvescak are really putting the pressure on now as they look for the killer blow, Murley twists around the net and from a great position can't beat Janus!
	45:26	Stastny! He's fed a good looking pass at the left side of the crease but he completely misses the puck!
	46:17	Miklik! He skates with purpose to the Medvescak net but his wrister hits Brust and goes out of play!
	46:20	Icing from Medvescak
	46:25	Ryan Veske shoots sharply just inside the blue line and with Janus scrambling all over the place it goes not too far wide
	48:30	Brust is simply flying everywhere and can't keep his footing but Slovan fail to capitalise! The heat is really rising here
	49:26	Vondrka! Brust only just prevents the puck from crossing the line as Vondrka backhanded the puck from the left up close! The tempo is very quick at the moment
	50:56	It's getting physical out there with bodies flying everywhere! Medvescak send puck over from the top of the crease as they look to make things more comfortable
	52:06	Cheechoo! He takes control of the loose puck, looks to catch Janus out glove side but the home goalkeeper keeps his team in it!
	52:38	Medvescak cough up the puck behind their net and just as an opponent was cutting in they manage to clear the danger!
	54:40	Medvescak are now just closing all free spaces down for Slovan as time is now starting to run down
	55:08	Bill Thomas from a very awkward angle fires in on Janus and instead of freezing Janus releases as not to waste time
	56:06	Bjorkstrand! He takes the puck through on the right, takes a pause and drags it back before wristing it towards the near post but it just goes over the net!
	57:37	Slovan do need now to get set up in the zone and start get some quality attacks as there is now just over two minutes left
	58:03	Vondrka's rebound comes out right to Mikel Miklik but he can't squeeze in a clean attempt!
	58:43	Brust with a rather unusual save turns away a weak attempt from the blue line
	59:45	Slovan pull Janus for the extra skater as Brust dives on the puck as it comes into the crease!
	59:45	A timeout has been called by the Slovan head coach with only 15 seconds remaining before the final buzzer
	59:59	Brust makes a solid pad save as a hard wrist shot comes in from the right hand boards
	60:00	Game over.
		Medvescak have beaten Slovan in a tight and exciting contest 3-2! This game had just about everything and Medvescak will be very pleased with the three points which ensure that they finish in 6th position of the Western Conference and will therefore faceoff with Lev Prague in the first round of the playoffs. Marko Dano opened up the scoring today for Slovan but the visitors answered with second period goals from Mike Glumac and Kurtis Foster before Milan Bartovic made it a tied game, but early on in the third stanza Matt Murley won the game for the Croats. Thanks for following the game with us, and see you soon for more thrilling action from the KHL! (21:25:53)

Commentary by

Shaun Nicolaides

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 7. Dano (Olvecky), 37. Bartovic (Mikus, Hudacek) – 27. Gumac, 32. Foster (Murley, Cheechoo), 41. Murley (Cheechoo)

HC Slovan Bratislava: Janus (Kopriva)- Stajnoch, Luza, Sigalet, Mojzis, Skoula, Mihalik, Brejcak- T Mikus, Satan, Miklik, Bliznak, Stastny, Bartovic, Dano, J Mikus, Vondrka, Bakos, Olvecky, Hudacek, Radivojevic

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

Referees: Naumov, Deev, Pavlov, Menshykh

Attendance: 10055

1st period
	02:26
	06:35
	08:13
	08:49
	16:51
1st intermission
2nd period
	26:08
	26:30
	26:47
	29:29
	31:26
	32:37
	33:45
	36:06
2nd intermission
3rd period
	40:13
Final