LEV 2:3 SPM | Lev Praha - Spartak Moscow (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)

after shootout (0:1)

Lev Praha

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

Spartak Moscow

Tuesday 04.03.2014, 19:00 • Tipsport Arena, Prague • KHL

		After losing 19 games in a row, Spartak finishes the season with 2 straight wins. They finish way out of the playoffs, but at least that's something to be pleased with. As for Lev, they finished 3rd in the West regardless of what happened tonight. They will start their playoff quest on Friday night here at Tipsport Arena against Medvescak Zagreb, who just won in Bratislava seconds ago to clinch 6th place. We'll have all KHL playoff action for you starting Friday! (21:20:20)
		VIACHESLAV KOZLOV scores the only goal of the shootout and is credited with the game-winning goal.
		Game over.
		David Ullstrom tries to go five-hole but Shesterkin stops him, ending the game.
		Andrei Sergeyev tries to deke but loses possession, Lev must score now.
		Michal Birner almost ties it for Lev but hits the goalpost. Spartak can win it now.
		Veteran Vyacheslav Kozlov goes to the backhand and beats Engren 5-hole to put Spartak up.
		Jiri Sekac shoots first for Lev, comes in with speed but Shesterkin makes a nice pad save. 0-0 after 1 round.
		Nikolai Lemtyugov of Spartak tries to go wide on Engren and is stopped.
		Start of shootout.
		The last game of the regular season for these two teams will be decided in a shootout. Shots on goal in 65 minutes of hockey were 27-26 Lev.
	65:00	Overtime finished.
	64:44	Icing Lev. That's the first whistle of this overtime period.
	64:20	Then O'Byrne's shot is blocked, but he hustles back to negate the rush the other way.
	63:46	Oystrick fans on a shot, Spartak starts back the other way.
	63:03	Repik the shot, pad save Shesterkin.
	62:00	Kapanen leads a Lev rush, scramble in front Jiri Sekac had Shesterkin down but he couldn't get it over him.
	61:00	Lemtyugov with a slapper, deflected wide.
	60:01	Overtime began.
		So with the point, Lev now have 99 points. A win here will get them 100, but they'll finish 3rd no matter what. Spartak now have 57 points and will finish 13th no matter what. Overtime coming up.
		Jiri Novotny tried one last shot from the neutral zone and he hit Oleg Kvasha in the ankle. The former NHLer is hobbling around the ice but stays on is feed and looks like he's ok.
	60:00	3rd period finished.
	59:05	Lev goes quickly back the other way and Dominik Pacovsky collides heavily into the end boards. I didn't see exactly what happened but there's not penalty coming on the play and the faceoff will be outside. Pacovsky is now sitting on the bench and talking to the trainer.
	58:55	Slapper from Yevgenik Kulik, stick save Engren.
	58:29	Puck covered by Igor Shesterkin for a faceoff in the Spartak zone.
	55:24	Goal for Spartak! My goodness, an absolutely horrible giveaway in the Lev zone by Patrik Zackrisson, who has played pretty well this game. It goes right on the stick of NIKOLAI LEMTYUGOV, who was all alone in the slot and had Engren at his mercy. He puts it in to tie this game. Unassisted.
	54:21	Lemtyugov with a high wrister that misses, hits the glass and goes out of play, faceoff outside.
	52:49	There was a big collision in the corner between Ryan O'Byrne and Oleg Kvasha, finally the puck ends up on the back of the Spartak net and play is stopped, faceoff inside.
	51:55	Another Lev rush, Sekac with the wrister, pad save Shesterkin.
	50:55	Birner with a low slapper, pad save Shesterkin.
	50:15	David Ullstrom with the low wrister, stick save Shesterkin.
	49:41	Dangerous Lev rush led by Jakub Nakladal, he found Michal Birner who nearly had his second goal in just over 2 minutes but he just missed, then the puck came off the end boards and Shesterkin covers.
	48:31	Icing Lev.
	47:31	Goal for Lev! They get enough shots and finally put one in. Nathan Oystrick at the point was looking for someone open down low and he found MICHAL BIRNER at the side of the net, who nicely re-directed it in before Shesterkin could get across for the go-ahead goal. Assists: Nathan Oystrick, Ondrej Nemec.
	47:12	Now Ridderwall with a low wrister, stick save Shesterkin.
	46:14	Gragnani with a wrister from the point through traffic, hits Shesterkin, who didn't see it judging by his (lack of) reaction.
	44:47	Scramble in front of the Lev goal, Spartak gets a couple of shots including a backhander from Filipp Toluzakov from right in front with Atte Engren down but he hits him in the chest and the puck's eventually covered.
	43:39	Spartak rush, Mamkin fires a one-timer from just inside the line that Engren gloves and holds on.
	42:23	Michal Repik with a high wrister, Shesterkin gets a shoulder on it.
	41:14	Nemec with a lead pass to Birner, he beats a man, then shoots a low wrister wide.
	40:30	Lev enter the zone, big slapper from Martin Sevc deflected just wide and the puck ends up over the glass. Faceoff inside.
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
		The teams are on the ice and the 2nd period will start shortly.
		A bit quicker pace to that second period. Both teams get a couple of chances but nobody scores and it's still 1-1, heading into the last period of the regular season for both teams. Shots on goal in the 2nd period (and game): Lev 9 (15), Spartak 10 (18). Quality scoring chances: Lev 2 (3), Spartak 2 (3). 3rd period begins at 20:35 CET, 14:35 EST.
	40:00	2nd period finished.
	38:52	Icing Lev.
	37:30	David Ullstrom takes the puck down low in the Spartak zone, finds Dominik Pacovsky driving to the net but Igor Shesterkin makes a huge save sticking the left pad out. The youngster very nearly had his 2nd goal of the game.
	37:01	Vladimir Pesherkhonov with a backhander from the right wing, right on Engren, who holds on.
	36:30	Ridderwall with a wrister, pad save Shersterkin.
	36:03	Lukas Cingel leads a Lev rush, tries to find Birner going to the net but it's intercepted, then Spartak called for icing.
	35:40	Lev back at full strength, play continues in their zone.
	34:26	Puck comes out of the corner and Engren covers it with 1:11 left in the penalty.
	34:15	Bodrov with a slapper from the point, blocked.
	33:37	Martin Sevc is called for hooking in his own zone trying to prevent a scoring chance, so Spartak goes to the power play, they're 0/1 today.
	33:10	Icing Lev.
	32:54	Ridderwall takes a slapper from the neutral zone, Shesterkin catches it and holds on.
	32:11	And the puck goes out of play in the neutral zone, faceoff at centre ice.
	32:00	Patrik Zackrisson with a full head of steam into the Spartak zone, tries to pick the far corner with a slapper but Igor Shesterkin gets his stick on it to just tip it wide of the post.
	31:40	Yevgeni Kulik with a hard wrister, deflected wide.
	30:53	Icing Spartak.
	29:45	Nikolai Lemtyugov cuts out of the corner and tries to beat Atte Engren but he's denied from point blank, and he eventually covers the puck. Best save by either goalie so far tonight.
	29:18	Lev rush again, Gragnani to Novotny, fires wide.
	29:05	Puck goes off the end boards in the Lev zone and out in front to Engren, who covers.
	28:35	Jiri Sekac leads a Lev rush, fires a wrister just wide.
	28:25	Puck out of play in the Lev zone, faceoff inside.
	28:10	Kulik with a wrister from the point, not sure it got through to Engren as there was a lot of traffic in front.
	26:12	Spencer Humphries with a wrister from the point, pad save Shesterkin.
	25:55	Chance for Lev now, Jakub Matai with the shot right on Shesterkin. With Lev locked in third place, they're giving a lot of ice time tonight to guys that don't normally play much.
	25:29	Oleg Kvasha tries to go high stick side on Engren, but the Finnish goalie gets his blocker on the hard wrister and deflects it out of play. Faceoff inside.
	25:01	Icing Lev.
	24:18	Offside Lev, Spartak is now back at full strength, both teams 0/1 on the power play.
	23:40	Tom Wandell leads a shorthanded rush for Spartak but he's knocked down without getting a shot away, Lev starts back.
	23:08	Ullstrom with a wrister, pad save Shesterkin and then the puck is iced.
	22:46	Nathan Oystrick with a slapper from the point that's deflected high.
	22:08	Matt Anderson is called for tripping in his own zone as Spartak is under a bit of pressure. Lev to the power play for the first time.
	21:54	Michal Repik wins a battle for the puck behind the net, the centring pass gets through Shesterkin and he falls down but there's nobody there to get on the puck with the wide open net.
	21:24	Icing Spartak.
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
		The teams are on the ice and the 2nd period will start shortly.
		With nothing at stake for either of these teams tonight, it's not surprising that there's not much emotion to this one so far. Each team has a goal in a pretty tame first period. Shots on goal in 1st period: Lev 6, Spartak 8. Quality scoring chances: Lev 1, Spartak 1. 2nd period begins at 19:46 CET, 13:46 EST.
	20:00	1st period finished.
	19:30	Lev back at full strength, play in the Spartak zone.
	19:05	Yevgeni Kulik with a wrister from a weak angle, turned away by Engren.
	18:10	Martin Sevc does a good bit of penalty killing, handling the puck to elude checkers and gets a nice hand from this home crowd.
	17:19	Lev's Ryan O'Byrne took a hack at Igor Volkov trying to thwart a Spartak rush and he's getting the first penalty of this game for slashing. Spartak to the power play.
	16:03	Calle Ridderwal with a low wrister from the boards, scooped up by the glove hand of Igor Shesterkin and held onto.
	13:56	Goal for Spartak! Spartak with some pressure in the Lev zone, the puck was fed back to GRIGORI ZHELDAKOV at the point, and he fired a low wrister through traffic that found the back of the net. Assists: Igor Volkov, Denis Bodrov.
	13:08	Play goes back into the Spartak zone, Shesterkin covers it for a stoppage.
	11:42	Goal for Lev! From centre ice, Jiri Novotny sends a lead pass to DOMINIK PACOVSKY at the Spartak blueline, and he takes a few strides and fires it from the top of the circle, beating Shesterkin high stick side for his first KHL goal. Assists: Jiri Novotny, Marc-Andre Gragnani.
	11:32	David Ullstrom attempts a couple of shots from the point, both go wide.
	10:16	Spartak with some pressure in the Lev zone, high wrister from Mikhail Mamkin is caught and held by Engren.
	09:52	Puck deflected out of play in the Lev zone, faceoff inside.
	08:30	Now a wrister from Ullstrom, deflected wide.
	07:40	Scramble in the Spartak slot, Tomas Kubalik gets a stick on it and puts the puck on net, directed to the corner by Shesterkin.
	06:25	Jakub Nakladal carries the puck in from the point and fires a low backhander, pad save Shesterkin and then the net is dislodged. Faceoff in the Spartak zone.
	04:37	Offside Lev.
	04:29	Igor Volkov with a hard wrister from the top of the circle, right on Engren, who holds on.
	03:44	Igor Lemtyugov winds and fires a slapper from the high slot, over the net.
	02:35	Pavel Medvedev leads a rush across the Lev line and fires a shot on Atte Engren, the first for Spartak in the game. Engren makes a stick save, then plays the puck up.
	01:46	Offside Lev.
	01:05	The puck slides to Igor Shesterkin, the young Spartak goaltender, who covers it. Shesterkin got a shutout on Sunday in Bratislava, ending Spartak's horrible 19-game losing streak.
	00:30	Lev's David Ullstrom attempts the first shot on goal from the right wing but misses on the near side.
	00:01	Game started.
		The national anthems of the Russian Federation and Czech Republic have been played, and the opening faceoff is moments away. Lev Praha is wearing their red home uniforms with blue and white trim, red NY Rangers-style pants and blue helmets. Spartak Moscow is wearing their white road uniforms with red trim, red pants and white helmets.
		Starting Lineups: Lev Praha: Engren (Lukáš) – Gragnani, Ševc, Oystrick, Němec, Jaakola, O'Byrne, Humphries, Nakládal – Ullström, Novotný, Pacovský – Sekáč, Zackrisson, Ridderwall – Birner, Kapanen, Řepík – Matai, Cingel, Kubalík. Spartak Moscow: Shesterkin (Truskov) – Kulik, Bodrov, Zheldakov, Sergeyev, Sorokin, Grishin, Mamkin – Volkov, Kvasha, Kozlov – Špirko, Wandell, Lemťugov – Anderson, Nikulin, Toluzakov – Medvěděv, Ignashin, Peshekhonov. Referees: Baluska, Nalivaiko. Linesmen: Golyak, Parfyonov..
		There´s only one question left to be answered for HC LEV Praha on Tuesday. However, it has nothing to do with the game they´ll be playing. With Sunday´s 2-1 overtime win over Medveščak Zagreb, they will finish third place in the Western Conference and face the sixth seed in the first round of the playoffs. Two games will determine who finishes sixth and who finishes seventh -- CSKA Moscow-Dinamo Minsk and Slovan Bratislava-Medveščak Zagreb. Meanwhile, the Lions finish up their schedule at home against Spartak Moscow. The season started well for Spartak. When they beat Lev 4-3 back on September 14, it was their fourth win in their fifth game of the season, and it looked like they were on their way to contending for a Western Conference playoff spot. They stayed in contention until December 6, when they beat Sibir Novosibirsk 2-1. After that . . . they lost their next 19 games in a row, plunging into 13th place in the conference. They finally ended the streak on Sunday with a 3-0 win in Bratislava. Now they´ll try to finish up the season with two straight wins. Igor Shestyorkin got the shutout on Sunday, his first in the KHL, and is a good bet to start again on Tuesday. Jeff Glass got the win when the two teams met back in September, but he´s since moved onto crosstown rival CSKA, and the team´s goaltending situation has largely been in shambles since then. Several other players have been unloaded down the stretch as the team fell in contention, but the forward trio of veteran Vyacheslav Kozlov, Rastislav Špirko and Matt Anderson remain. For Lev, they want to finish the regular season on a high, and with at least two points from this game they´ll break the 100-point barrier. Expect Atte Engren to start in goal, but also expect Swedish forwards Martin Thörnberg and Patrik Zackrisson to dress, making them the only players to play in all 54 regular-season games.
		Welcome. This game starts at 19:00 CET local time in Prague, 22:00 MSK in Moscow, 13:00 EST.

Commentary by

Derek OBrien

@@Djob76

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 12. Pacovsky (Novotny, Gragnani), 48. Birner (Oystrick, Nemec) – 14. Zheldakov (Volkov, Bodrov), 56. Lemtyugov, ?. Kozlov

Lev Praha: Engren (Lukáš) – Gragnani, Ševc, Oystrick, Němec, Jaakola, O'Byrne, Humphries, Nakládal – Ullström, Novotný, Pacovský – Sekáč, Zackrisson, Ridderwall – Birner, Kapanen, Řepík – Matai, Cingel, Kubalík.

Spartak Moscow: Shesterkin (Truskov) – Kulik, Bodrov, Zheldakov, Sergeyev, Sorokin, Grishin, Mamkin – Volkov, Kvasha, Kozlov – Špirko, Wandell, Lemťugov – Anderson, Nikulin, Toluzakov – Medvěděv, Ignashin, Peshekhonov.

Referees: Baluska, Nalivaiko. Linesmen: Golyak, Parfyonov.

1st period
	11:42
	13:56
	17:19
1st intermission
2nd period
	22:08
	33:37
2nd intermission
3rd period
	47:31
	55:24
After 3rd period
Overtime
before shootout
Shootout
after shootout