DON 1:2 RIG | HC Donbass Donetsk - Dinamo Riga (KHL)

KHL

Dynamo – Lokomotiv

1:0 (after OT)

Donbass – Riga

1:2 (end)

final

HC Donbass Donetsk

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

Dinamo Riga

Thursday 13.03.2014, 18:00 • Druzhba Arena • KHL

		There's the final buzzer, and despite a heavy Donbass onslaught Dinamo Riga have held out and claimed a 2-1 victory that keeps them alive in the series! They had to endure some serious pressure in the third period but thanks to heroic goalkeeping from Jakub Sedlacek they get their second win in the series to make it 3-2 overall in their opponent's favour. Gints Meija opened up the scoring in the first period before in the second stanza Lauris Darzins made it two, but Donbass replied through a Tuomas Kiiskinen powerplay marker. Thanks for following the game with us, and see you again soon for more breathtaking KHL hockey action! (20:21:52)
	60:00	Game over.
	59:48	Sedlacek pushes a strong wrist shot out in front of him glove side as we move into the final few seconds of the match
	59:22	Donbass build up but Wilson's eventual slapshot is blocked well by traffic in front of him!
	58:55	Donbass have pulled their netminder in favour of the extra skater with time running out!
	57:22	Szczechura all on his own in the opposing zone has a wrist shot from distance deflected wide. Dinamo are clinging on by the skin of their teeth
	56:45	Dadonov wrists a very dangerous shot just over the crossbar when well positioned!
	55:35	Wirtanen! Wow what a chance to finally get the home side back on level terms! Sedlacek gives up a poor rebound on a weak Podkhradskiy effort from the right hand boards, Petteri Wirtanen has the goal begging to be hit but he slides it wide of the left post! And Dinamo have taken a well needed timeout
	55:10	Podkhradskiy! Spinning away from his defender his backhand pass across the crease isn't turned in by Laine!
	53:38	The away side commit icing with just over six minutes remaining in the third period
	53:22	Right off the faceoff draw the puck is slapped in from distance and Laco comes slightly out of his net to take it up
	53:19	Dzerins! Picking up the loose puck at the blue line he drives in and fires into Laco's chest
	52:35	It's icing again from Dinamo. They are really riding their luck as Donbass are pressing them further and further back
	51:51	Fedotenko! He has a teammate free at the left post begging for the puck but Fedotenko loses control of it!
	50:51	Just after a backhand attempt sailed wide of the left post Ruslan Fedotenko from point blank range misses the net when it seemed easier to score!
	50:08	Wirtanen from the right hand boards dumps the puck into the crowded crease looking for a telling deflection but it goes right through
	49:21	Laco spreads himself out well to intercept a cross ice pass into the crease with attackers coming on to it
	48:25	Dadonov shows off fantastic handling skills as he beats almost the entire Dinamo defence on the left, he tries to stuff the puck under Sedlacek but the goalkeeper comes out on top again!
	47:49	Dinamo ice the puck as they are coming under some serious pressure now
	47:31	Kaspar now from the right faceoff circle wrists powerfully directly into Sedlacek's chest who holds on solidly
	47:06	Kaspar at pace skates all around Sedlacek's net, goes straight away for a wraparound but he can't find the target!
	45:59	Sedlacek! Vital save from the Dinamo netminder! Kiiskinen almost from an identical position as just a moment ago is denied excellently by the goalkeeper's right pad!
	45:11	Kiiskinen! Breaking into the top of the crease he wrists inches wide of the left hand post with Sedlacek beaten!
	43:52	Meija! The home side cough up the puck to Meija close to their own goal and he isn't far away from making them pay!
	42:41	Sedlacek completely loses sight of the puck on his slot after he saved a low Teemu Laine wrister with his left pad and he's lucky to not get punished!
	41:54	Martins Cipulis makes space for himself on the left flank, sends the puck right across the crease and thankfully for Donbass no one can get to it!
	41:01	Donbass move offside. That powerplay goal at the end of the second period has given them a foothold and they will be looking to try and tie this one up as soon as they can
	40:01	Start of 3rd period.
		Statistics after the first two periods- Shots (on target)- 38 (25)- 34 (17) Faceoffs- 39-17 Hits- 19-17 Penalty minutes- 2-4
	40:00	2nd period finished.
	39:55	Dinamo are now of course back to full strength as we now enter the final few seconds of the second period
	39:53	Ozolins! What a chance for the veteran to restore his team's two goal advantage! He skates away, turns inside his defender but Laco makes a wonderful glove save to somehow deny him!
	38:45	Goal for Donbass! The puck is bouncing all around the crease on a mad goalmouth scramble and finally TUOMAS KIISKINEN forces it home past Sedlacek, powerplay goal and it's 2-1! Assists- Petteri Wirtanen and Teemu Laine
	38:17	Podkhradskiy! His powerful slapper from the blue line forces Sedlacek into giving up a rebound and he manages to send it clear!
	37:36	On that note Donbass have taken a timeout, they know that this is an opportunity that they can't pass up
	37:36	And just seconds later Mat Robinson again for tripping has made this a five on three powerplay for the hosts
	37:09	Donbass have a timely powerplay here to get back into the game, Jekabs Redlihs for tripping has got called into the penalty box
	36:32	Wilson! Clay Wilson is found free closing in on the left, he gathers in the puck and wrists hard in on net but Sedlacek is there!
	35:55	The visitors work their way into a promising shooting position, but the puck is deflected up and out of play
	35:11	Donbass go offside
	34:33	Podkhradskiy slaps the puck into the goalkeeper's chest from the right faceoff circle
	34:14	Tuomas Kiiskinen drags the puck all the way back to the point, looks for a deflection as he dumps it into the crease but the visitors clear
	33:35	And it's another chance for Paul Szczechura! This time he gets even closer to Laco, puts the goalkeeper on the ice but with the goal at his mercy he can't hit the net with the backhand!
	33:07	Szczechura! The Donbass defence fail to pick him up as he skates towards Laco but wrists off target!
	32:24	Yakutseniya skating with purpose past the blue line sets the puck back for Fedotenko but it finds only opposition defenders!
	31:15	The attendance inside the Druzhba Arena today is 4012
	30:56	Laco pushes a heavy attempt right out in front of him from the left and has to rely on his defenders to bail him out!
	29:52	Dadonov! Picking up the loose puck after Ozolins lost it looks to to upstairs on Sedlacek blocker side but fires just too high!
	29:35	Oleg Piganovich manages to force his way into the opposition's zone, but the attack comes to nothing
	28:49	Donbass need to step it up a bit at already two down, they don't want this series to go on any longer than today
	27:11	Goal for Dinamo Riga! They've been pressing hard and now have their reward! LAURIS DARZINS is found free at the left hand post with a wonderful backhand pass and he finishes first time, it's 2-0! Assists- Sandis Ozolins and Paul Szczechura
	26:32	Dinamo are pressing their opponents everywhere in their own zone but can't find room for a shooting opportunity!
	25:01	Laine! He's found free with a cutting pass, skates through one on one but Sedlacek keeps his team ahead with an expert poke check!
	23:44	Yakutseniya squeezes in a low wrister on the from an awkward angle but Sedlacek is covering his near post
	23:25	Icing from Donbass
	23:13	This time Laco watches a powerful slapper from the middle of the zone fly into the boards and he spreads himself to cover as it pops back out!
	22:58	Hossa makes a clever backhand pass into his free teammate on the slot and Laco has to be very alert!
	21:38	What a chance for Donbass! Lukas Kaspar wriggles free to go one one one with Sedlacek, he pulls wide blocker side and gives Sedlacek enough time to prepare himself!
	21:05	Nizivijs! Dinamo make a really good start to the second period as Aleksandrs Nizivijs's backhand at the top of the crease is denied by Laco!
	20:01	Start of 2nd period.
		Statistics after the opening period of play- Shots (on target)- 17 (13)- 20 (11) Faceoffs- 12-12 Hits- 9-8 Penalty minutes- 2-0
	20:00	1st period finished.
	19:51	We're now into the final few seconds of an entertaining first period
	19:40	Podkhradskiy! Donbass work the puck in the zone well and Peter Podkhradskiy's heavy shot is fielded by Sedlacek glove side!
	18:58	Paul Szczechura breaks hard into the Donbass zone and has a wrist shot deflected up and out of play
	18:21	Hossa fighting for the puck along the left flank eventually finds room for a high wrist shot but Laco sees it all the way
	17:38	Icing from Dinamo. That goal will certainly give them confidence as they have silenced the partizan home crowd
	17:01	Goal for Dinamo Riga! Their pressure has paid off! GINTS MEIJA passes into the crease, the puck pops out back to him and he backhands right into the top of the net! Powerplay goal and it's 1-0! Assists- Lauris Darzins
	16:26	Bukarts! He slaps the puck hard into the unsighted Laco and the goaltender has to sit on it!
	15:18	We have the first penalty of the game and it's against Evgeniy Dadonov for high sticking which gives Dinamo a powerplay opportunity
	15:04	Laco comes out as far as his right faceoff circle to clear the puck! You don't often see the goalkeeper skate out that far
	14:15	Varlamov twists and shoots when peeling off the right hand boards and Sedlacek at the second attempt gets his glove on it!
	13:44	Both teams have settled into the game well with just over six minutes left in the first period
	12:38	Dinamo now go offside
	12:27	Laine skates all on his own into the away zone and his effort is routine work for Sedlacek who freezes
	12:02	A very dangerous Dinamo attack is completed with a fierce slapshot from the point which flies past Laco's blocker!
	11:21	Marcel Hossa shows excellent puck handling skills as he jinks his way around the home defenders by the left hand boards, but Laco covers his eventual slapper
	10:48	Teemu Laine finds the loose puck on the crease but Sedlacek shuts the door on his backhand attempt with his pads!
	09:08	Varlamov! Sergey Varlamov goes for a wraparound attempt on Sedlacek and he just can't find the target!
	08:39	Bartulis with a wonderful cross ice pass almost finds the onrushing Maxim Yakutseniya who can't control it!
	07:34	A pacy counterattack is led out by Petteri Wirtanen whose pass into the crease is cut out well!
	07:23	Donbass commit icing
	06:33	Laco makes an awkward looking save blocker side as the puck came in from the left of the crease! Dinamo have made a very promising start
	06:00	Ruslan Fedotenko finishes off a long Donbass attack with a snapshot that drifts wide of the right hand post!
	04:27	Skvorcovs! It's his second chance of the night as he is brilliantly set up on the crease but from point blank range he's denied by Laco!
	04:17	The hosts move offside
	03:56	Blagoi! Drifting inside from the left he shoots wide with a defender in front of him!
	03:06	Laco this time comfortably clings on to a long slapshot to freeze for a faceoff
	02:52	Roberts Bukarts wrists in from the blue line, Jan Laco can't hold on to it first time and at the second attempt manages to cover it
	02:25	Skovrcovs! Gunars Skovrcovs receives a neat backhand pass on the left faceoff circle, shoots first time and it goes into the goalkeeper's chest!
	01:49	Jakub Sedlacek holds on to a long pass in towards his net blocker side
	01:33	Dinamo try to get set up in the attacking zone, but the resulting pass back to the point sails past the blue line
	01:01	Donbass ice the puck. This game really is the crucial one in this series, and it will be interesting to see who will grab the initiative
	00:01	Game started.
		Both teams are now out on to the ice and after the national anthems of the Ukraine and Latvia we will have the opening faceoff!
		Starting lineups: HC Donbass Donetsk: Laco (Leighton)- Konev, Piganovich, Laine, Wirtanen, Kiiskinen- Wilson, Podkhradskiy, Dadonov, Fedotenko, Yakutseniya- Kolar, Bartulis, Blagoi, Varlamov, Kaspar- Silnitskiy, Toryanik, Belukhin, Zakharov Dinamo Riga: Sedlacek (Tellqvist)- Ozolins, J Redlihs, Darzins, Szczechura, Bukarts- Pujacs, Robinson, Hossa, Dzerins, Nizivijs- K Redlihs, Sotnieks, Cipulis, Bicevskis, Meija- Upitis, Begovs, Skvorcovs Referees: Ronn, Sergeev, Putulin, Nesterov.
		This game is Dinamo's last chance in the playoffs this year, as at 3-1 down in the series they now have no room left for error. Their opponents Donbass won the two opening games in Donetsk 5-2 and 3-1 but Dinamo struck back with a 7-3 win in Riga, before Donbass regained control of the series with a 4-1 win last time out.
		Donbass finished in 4th place of the Western Conference with 97 points and impressed many along the way. This is their first apperannce in the Gagarin Cup playoffs having only joined the KHL last season. Dinamo Riga were only one place below in the same conference with 93 points.
		The KHL playoffs are always something to enjoy, and this year it's no different. The first round is really coming to its climax now with each game possessing a do or die status, and this match certainly falls into that category.
		Good evening everyone and welcome to this KHL Western Conference quarterfinal playoff match between Donbass Donetsk and Dinamo Riga. This is Dinamo Riga's last chance in this series, and we should be in for a fascinating encounter.
		Welcome. Game starts at 18:00.

Commentary by

Shaun Nicolaides

Goals & lineups Match log

Goals and assists: 39. Kiiskinen (Wirtanen, Laine) – 18. Meija (Darzins), 28. Darzins (Ozolins, Szczechura)

HC Donbass Donetsk: Laco (Leighton)- Konev, Piganovich, Laine, Wirtanen, Kiiskinen- Wilson, Podkhradskiy, Dadonov, Fedotenko, Yakutseniya- Kolar, Bartulis, Blagoi, Varlamov, Kaspar- Silnitskiy, Toryanik, Belukhin, Zakharov

Dinamo Riga: Sedlacek (Tellqvist)- Ozolins, J Redlihs, Darzins, Szczechura, Bukarts- Pujacs, Robinson, Hossa, Dzerins, Nizivijs- K Redlihs, Sotnieks, Cipulis, Bicevskis, Meija- Upitis, Begovs, Skvorcovs

Referees: Ronn, Sergeev, Putulin, Nesterov

Attendance: 4012

1st period
	15:18
	17:01
1st intermission
2nd period
	27:11
	37:09
	37:36
	38:45
2nd intermission
3rd period
Final