Welcome. Game 1 of the Gagarin Cup Finals starts at 19:00 YEKT local time in Magnitogorsk, 15:00 CEST in Prague, 09:00 EDT.

The wait is over, and on Friday it´s finally time for the Gagarin Cup Finals to begin, as Mike Keenan´s Metallurg Magnitogorsk host Kari Jalonen´s Lev Praha in game 1. Both of these teams bring a lot of strengths into the final, but most seem to believe it will be a battle between Metallurg´s offence and Lev´s defence.

Both teams have marched through their respective conferences with little difficulty. In the East, Metallurg beat Admiral Vladivostok 4-1, Sibir Novosibirsk 4-0 and Salavat Yulaev Ufa 4-1. In the West, Lev beat Medveščak Zagreb 4-0, Donbass Donetsk 4-2 and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 4-1.

Two strong teams, without a doubt. Still, the Russian media seem to be counting on Magnitogorsk is huge favourites, which probably shouldn´t be surprising. They ran away with the Eastern Conference title this year with 109 regular season points and possess the most dangerous forward line in the league. Lev, meanwhile was third place in the West with 99 points and benefited from the top two teams being upset in the first two rounds. They´re also a relatively unknown team in Russia, without any huge stars and playing only their second season in the KHL.

"I haven´t been following what they´re saying in the Russian newspapers, but I understand why they would say Metallurg is the favourite and I´m okay with that," says Lev coach Kari Jalonen, who doesn´t seem to mind his team´s position heading into this series. Asked why they are an underdog, he answered, "I think (our success) is a total surprise since it´s all happened very quickly."

Another factor that makes Metallurg big favourites in the eyes of many is their seemingly unstoppable top line. Sergei Mozyakin, Jan Kovář and Danis Zaripov were the top three scorers in the KHL during the regular season and they've continued their exploits into the playoffs.

The trio and the Metallurg power play were difficult for Lev to stop during the regular season. In the two meetings between the teams, the line combined for 11 points. Lev almost won at home on October 7th, but Metallurg tied the game late in the third period and then won it in overtime, with both goals coming with the man advantage. The winning goal was scored by Chris Lee, whose 31 points during the regular season were third among KHL defencemen.

In the return match-up on January 5th in Magnitogorsk, Lev held a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes, but again Metallurg´s big guns came on in the third period, eventually winning 4-2. For Lev, it was their only loss in a stretch of 11 games from December 11th to January 19th.

"Either of the games could have gone either way," said Lev´s Calle Ridderwall, who scored both goals in the second game. "We could have won if the puck had bounced our way. Anyway, it was a close game and it´s good to get these games before the playoffs."

Lev goaltender Petri Vehanen will have to be at his best to stop this offensive juggernaut. Fortunately, he seems to be playing at his best right now. In the five-game Western Final against Lokomotiv he surrendered only 6 goals and had 2 shutouts, stopping 145 of 151 shots. In the whole playoffs, the 36-year-old Finn is 10-3 with a 1.67 goals-against average and .939 save percentage. At the other end, Vasily Koshechkin´s numbers are very similar -- 12-2, 1.66, .944 and 2 shutouts.

Magnitogorsk in playoffs:

Top Scorers

1. Mozyakin (LW) – 19 pts (7+12)
2. Kovář (RW) -16 pts (6+10)
3. Zaripov (C) – 13 pts (7+6)
4. Ibragimov (D) – 6 pts (0+6)
5. Lee (D) – 5 pts (2+3)
6. Paré (C) – 5 pts (1+4)

Goalie

Koshechkin – 12-2, 1.66, .944, 2 SO

Lev in playoffs:

Top Scorers

1. Thörnberg (RW) – 11 pts (6+5)
2. Vrána (C) -10 pts (6+4)
3. Azevedo (RW) – 9 pts (5+4)
4. Řepík (RW) – 9 pts (4+5)
5. Oystrick (D) – 9 pts (3+6)
6. Kapanen (C) – 9 pts (2+7)

Goalie

Vehanen – 10-3, 1.67, .939, 2 SO

Starting Lineups:

Metallurg Magnitogorsk: Koshechkin (Pechursky) – Biryukov, Antipin, Khabarov, Tereschenko, Ibragimov, Lee, Malenkikh – Mozyakin, Zaripov, Kovář – Potekhin, Kazionov, Paré – Yunkov, Kosov, Platonov – Malinovsky, Osala, Brent – Timkin.

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

Referees: Bulanov, Kulakov. Linesmen: Birin, Zakharenkov.

The arena lights are dark and the two teams are being introduced, player-by-player, with a spotlight and music.

Now the Czech national anthem, "Kde domov můj" is being played.

And now the Russian national anthem, "Gosudarstvenny Gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii".

The pre-game festivities are now finished and the opening faceoff is moments away.

Metellurg Magnitogorsk is wearing their home navy blue uniforms with red, silver and white trim, white numbers navy blue pants and helmets. Lev Praha is wearing their road white uniforms with blue and red trim, red numbers, red NY Rangers-style pants and white helmets.

One minute passed, still no shots or stoppages.

Lev's Jiri Sekac gets the game's first shot on goal, a long wrister that Vitaly Koshechkin catches and holds for a faceoff.

First shot for Metallurg, Osala from a sharp angle, pad save Vehanen.

Bouncing puck in the slot in front of the Lev goal, Petri Vehanen manages to pounce on it to get a stoppage.

O'Byrne the slapper from the point, deflected wide.

Lev with two quick clears, no Metallurg shots yet.

Mozyakin's shot tipped wide, Metallurg pressure continues.

And the puck comes outside the zone and the penalty ends.

Lev clearing attempt goes right on Koshechkin on goal, so no icing.

Platonov drops to Antipov for a slapper, kicked out by Vehanen.

And Lev come back the other way, shot by Novotny, glove save Koshechkin and he hangs on.

Offside Lev.

Metallurg clear it, Lev regroup . . .

Slapper from Oystrick, just wide.

Maenpaa the slapper, blocked.

Now Nemec, deflected wide.

Finally Koshechkin makes the save on a wrister from Sekac and holds on with 2:39 left in the penalty.

Lev go back to the attack, Koshechkin makes another save and covers. Exactly 1:00 left in the major penalty.

Sekac's wrister is blocked.

Oystrick's slapper deflected wide.

Another shot from Oystrick, declected out of play with just :03 left in the penalty. Faceoff outside the Metallurg zone.

One-timer from Platonov sails wide.

Lev back at full strength, as they try to break out of their own zone.

Vrana's shot from the high slot deflects wide.

Tim Brent the wrister, pad save Vehanen.

Puck deflected out of play in the Lev zone, faceoff inside.

Play moves into the Lev zone off the draw, early shot on Vehanen, play continues.

David Ullstrom with the wrister, deflected out of play.

Ullstrom playing his first game since the game 1 of the 2nd round against Donetsk, when he suffered an upper-body injury.

Turnover in the Metallurg zone, shot from Matai from the high slot, blocked.

Icing Metallurg

Long wrister from the point, directed to the corner by Vehanen.

Offside Lev.

Icing Metallurg.

Sekac with the backhander wide.

Metallurg really having trouble getting any offence going, as Lev playing strong zone defence.

Nakladal's wrister from the point is deflected wide.

Now Maenpaa's shot is blocked.

Icing Lev.

Shots in this 2nd period are 5-1 Lev, 13-9 in the game.

They passed it around the perimeter but didn't get any shots, then Lev clear it.

Wrister from the point is blocked and Lev start back the other way as they get back to full strength.

Icing Lev.

Wrister from Potekhin, caught and held by Vehanen.

Matai cuts in and takes a backhander from a sharp angle, Koshechkin covers it and we get some pushing and shoving after the whistle.

Lev with control off the draw, shot from Vrana, caught and held by Koshechkin.

Icing Lev.

Mikko Maenpaa the slapper from the point, stick save Koshechkin.

Brent the shot, stick save Vehanen.

Pare from a sharp angle, stick save Vehanen.

Still no whistles in this 3rd period after 7 minutes.

Vrana tries to find Thornberg going to the net, deflects it wide.

Backhander from Ullstrom, stick save Koshechkin.

9 minutes without a whistle.

Shot from centre by Pare, deflected to the corner by Vehanen.

Wrister from Kazionov, deflected wide.

Cingel from a sharp angle, deflected wide.

Finally the puck is deflected out of play in the Lev zone after 12:27 of continuous play since the opening faceoff of the 3rd period. Faceoff outside the Lev blueline.

Wrister from Potekhin, blocker save Vehanen.

Wrister from Khabarov doesn't get through.

Metallurg's top line on the ice, Vehanen makes the save and covers.

Offside Metallurg on the shoot-in. Faceoff at centre ice.