Welcome. Game 3 of the Gagarin Cup Finals starts at 19:00 CEST local time in Prague, 23:00 YEKT in Magnitogorsk, 13:00 EDT.

After spitting the two games in Magnitogorsk, Metallurg and HC LEV come to Prague, where game 3 will be played at O2 Arena on Tuesday night. Metallurg will try to continue the groove they found in game 2, while Lev will try to return to their game 1 form.

Game 1 was a masterpiece from a Prague standpoint, shutting down the dangerous Magnitogorsk team, but in game 2 the Metallurg offence came alive and evened the series.

After keeping Metallurg off the scoresheet for the first four periods of this series, they broke out for three goals in the second period of game 2 and one more in the first minute of the third. Sergei Mozyakin, Jan Kovář and Danis Zaripov combined for 7 points.

As the game fell out of reach from a Lev perspective, tempers flared and emotions boiled over. There were two main skirmishes in the game, from which Ryan O'Byrne collected a total of 33 penalty minutes -- he picked up six minutes from a battle with fellow Canadian defenceman Tim Brent in the second period, then 27 minutes, which included a major penalty and a game misconduct for manhandling Vladimir Malenkikh with just 9 seconds on the clock.

"It´s the Finals and everyone wants to win, so hard checks and pushing and shoving after the whistle is normal," said winger Michal Řepík, who was right in the middle of the second-period fracas, paired off with Francis Paré. "In my opinion, the aggression will only grow."

For fans of tough hockey, that could be good news, and could make for quite the atmosphere inside O2 Arena, where a KHL-record crowd is anticipated. The game starts at 7pm CEST, but for fans who want their picture taken with the Gagarin Cup, it will arrive at the main entrance at 5:30.

Starting Lineups:

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

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

Referees: Olenin, Rönn Linesmen: Sivov, Shelyanin.

The arena lights are dim and Metallurg Magnitogorsk is taking to the ice to a chorus of whistles from the Lev fans. There is a contingent of Metallurg fans here though.

And now Lev Praha take to the ice to a thunderous roar.

The national anthems of the Russian Federation and the Czech Republic were played by a brass band from Usti nad Labem, and now game 3 will start shortly.

Lev Praha is wearing their home red uniforms with blue and white trim, red NY Rangers-style pants and blue helmets. Metallurg Magnitogorsk is wearing their road white uniforms with navy blue, red and silver trim, navy blue pants and white helmets. The fans are all wearing white and ready to go.

Jiri Novotny attemptd the first shot for Lev, whistled just wide.

Metallurg's top line buzzing, shot from Mozyakin, right on Vehanen who holds on to thunderous applaus from this large crowd.

Zaripov digs through the Lev zone and takes a shot, blocker save Vehanen.

Long wrister from Nemec, turned to the corner by Koshechkin.

Offside Metallurg.

Mozyakin's wrister deflected wide.

Topi Jaakola sends the puck the length of the ice, Metallurg regroup.

Slapper from Mozyakin is deflected out of play with :23 left in the penalty, faceoff in the Lev zone.

Chris Lee the wrister from the point, right on Vehanen and he covers with :09 left in the penalty.

Puck centred to Osala but he can't get a shot away and Lev get the puck out to neutral ice, now back at full strength.

Now Lev to the attack, shot from Thornberg is right on Koshechkin, who hangs on.

Puck out of play in the Lev zone, and after a discussion the faceoff is inside. I thought the shot was straight out, but oh well.

Big hit by Azevedo on Khabarov in the neutral zone -- the fans like that.

Mozyakin tries to weave his magic again in the Lev zone, but his pass attempt to Kovar is blocked. Lev start the other way.

Slapper from Zackrisson, right on Koshechkin and he holds on.

Lev breakout pass is deflected out of play, faceoff back deep in their zone.

Puck goes back to the point to Khabarov, he fires a big slapper that looked like it was tipped but goes right on Vehanen, who holds on for another faceoff.

Michal Birner tries to put a long shot on net but Koshechkin gets a stick on it and deflects it out of play. Faceoff in the Metallurg zone.

Koshechkin now scoops up another puck and holds on for another faceoff.

Wrister from Sekac, caught by Koshechkin and put back in play.

Oystrick's shot deflected just wide.

Wrister from Nemec caught and held by Koshechkin.

Shot from the boards by Thornberg, the rebound gets away from Koshechkin and is cleared.

Metallurg go back the other way quickly, Vehanen makes the save and we've got some pushing and shoving behind the net after the whistle. Faceoff outside, as I guess the Metallurg defence came in too deep.

Nadladal the wrister from the point, pad save Koshechkin and the rebound's finally cleared.

Lev keep the pressure on, Koshechkin covers the puck, then Jakub Matai and

Repik a wrister from the left wing, kicked out by Koshechkin.

Another long shot from Repik, stick save Koshechkin although it might have been heading wide anyway.

Icing Metallurg.

Oystick does a good job to keep it in at the blueline and fires a high wrister, deflected wide.

Khabarov's shot from the point goes through several sets of legs but finally deflects wide.

Zaripov blasts it in from the neutral zone, stick save Vehanen.

Lev back quickly the other way, stopped and held by Koshechkin.

Big hit by Kosov on Nemec, and the two of them battle for the puck in the corner in the Metallurg zone, finally Lev get possession.

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

Faceoff win for Kapanen, shot from the point by Gragnani caught and held by Koshechkin, so we'll do it again.

Lev with possession again off the draw, O'Byrne shoots from the boards, through the legs of Kapanen and right on Koshechkin, who covers again.

Lev with possession again off the draw, O'Byrne shoots from the boards, through the legs of Kapanen and right on Koshechkin, who covers again.

Now Potekhin with the wrister, caught and held by Vehanen. And you should here the ovation that the Finnish netminder is getting now, and no wonder for that save off Zaripov a moment ago. Grand larceny!

Metallurg keep up the pressure, this time it's Oscar Osala with the shot, and Vehanen makes another save. It hasn't been the most inspiring effort from Metallurg this game but they're starting to come on now.

Now a break for Lev but the puck is deflected out of play, faceoff in the Metallurg zone.

Lev back the other way quickly, Novotny's pass attempt from the boards gets deflected right on Koshechkin, who covers.

Sevc's shot gets deflected wide, Metallurg back the other way, Lee's long wrister is kicked out by Vehanen.

Zackrisson with a long-lead pass to Thornberg, his shot from the right wing is caught and held by Koshechkin. :56 left in the penalty to Brent, then Magnitika to the power play.

Metallurg now on the power play, Sevc dumps it the length of the ice on the penalty kill.

Lev back at full strength with play in their zone.

Thornberg's wrister from the point deflects wide.

Jaakola's long backhander hits the side of the net.

One-timer from Oystick, kicked out by Koshechkin.

Now a blast from Maenpaa deflects wide.

Thornberg with a wrister, deflects wide, looks like he's hurt his hand.

One-timer from Lee is blocked in front, then iced.

Lev back at full strength, they've killed off the penalty.

Puck out of play in the Metallurg zone, faceoff inside.

The fans in the lower bowl all dressed in white are hopping now, creating a rippling effect, play continues in the Lev zone.

Osala's centring pass is deflected away.

Metallurg having trouble entering the zone, finally a shoot-in goes out of play as the wave rides around the arena. Faceoff outside.

Now Martin Thornberg is down face-first in the neutral zone. Play is stopped. I didn't see what happened to him, but it doesn't seme like there's any penalty. Faceoff just outide the Lev zone. Metallurg net remains empty.