Vitkovice – Ingolstadt 5:1 (end) | Třinec – Bern 7:0 (end) | Tappara – Stavanger 7:3 (end)
Kuopio – Sparta 4:5 (2:3 after SO) | Köln – Košice 2:1 (end) | Vienna – Färjestad 4:1 (end)
Krefeld – Skellefteå 1:2 (end) | Zürich – Vålerenga 4:1 (end) | Genève – Frölunda 4:3 (end)
Briançon – Villach 1:2 (end) | Zug – SaiPa 1:2 (end) | Liberec – Kärpät 3:4 (end)
SønderjyskE – IFK Helsinki 4:5 (0:2 after SO) | Djurgården – Fribourg 5:4 (after OT) | Växjö – Mannheim 6:1 (end)
final
Bílí Tygři Liberec
3:4 (0:2, 2:2, 1:0)
Kärpät Oulu
Thursday 21.08.2014, 20:00 • Tipsport Arena, Liberec, Czech Republic • Champions League
     
    Welcome. This game starts at 20:00 CET, 21:00 EET.
     
    Hello everyone, it's Day One of the Champions Hockey League season and Finnish powerhouse Kärpät Oulu is in Liberec, Czech Republic, to square off with Bílí Tygři on the opening night.
     
    Following years under captainship of legendary forward Petr Nedvěd, Bílí Tygři (White Tigers) are looking to establish a new style of play and more team approach. The current stars include Slovak goalie Ján Lašák, one-time Stanley Cup champion Martin Škoula and goal-scorer Martin Bartek. Struggling early in the preseason looking to find a way to be a winning team even without Nedvěd, Liberec now has a chance to turn the page and become what they need to be.
     
    After four mediocre years, the Oulun Kärpät, also known as "Weasels" in English, came back strong in the 2013-14 season and emerged as champions for the first time since 2008. Not much has changed in the roster over summer, Ben Maxwell left for KHL while Ville Pokka and Jussi Rynnäs signed NHL contracts, but Iiro Tarkki is now joining the team, making up a great goaltending tandem with Oulu native Tomi Karhunen who led the team to the title in the playoffs last season.
     
    Last time Liberec and Oulu met was during the 2011 European Trophy season. Hosting Tigers in Raahe, the Weasels cruised to a good-looking 4-1 victory.
     
    Starting lineups:

    Bílí Tygři Liberec: Lašák (Schwarz) – Voráček, Škoula, Vitásek, Kajínek, Derner, Plutnar, Šimek – Víšek, Bartek (C), Bulík – Valský, Filippi, Bulíř – Vampola, Jelínek, Jass – Vlach, Urban, Kica – Jonák.

    Kärpät Oulu: Karhunen (Tarkki) – Kukkonen (C), Masuhr, Spang, Glenn, Niemela, Vallin, Eminger – Pyorala, Deschamps, Davis – Maenalanen, Komulainen, Huml – Junttila, Kemppainen, Donskoi – Manninen, Keranen, Suoranta, Alikoski – Manninen.

    Referees: W. Edqvist (SWE), M. Fraňo (CZE) – D. Jelínek (CZE), T. Pešek (CZE).
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    00:23
    Karhunen touches the puck for the first time, but nothing difficult, just a dump-in by the home team.
     
    00:58
    David Kajínek (LIB) gets two minutes for tripping.
     
    01:29
    Stoppage of play after Petr Jelínek was pushed into the rear of the Kärpät net.
     
    02:21
    Shot by Komulainen misses the Liberec net.
     
    02:48
    Filippi went in along the wing and fired one of the crossbar!
     
    02:56
    Goal for Kärpät!
    The Finnish side takes an early lead on the powerplay. PATRICK DAVIS had the puck in the right circle and found a way to squeeze it between the hand and the pad of Ján Lašák and just past the goal line to open the scoring. Assisted by Nicolas Deschamps.
    Patrick Davis – 0:1
     
    03:57
    Dan Spang just dumped the puck on net from the blue line and it created mess in front of Lašák, Liberec defense able to deal with it though.
     
    04:34
    Jan Víšek (LIB) gets called for hooking.
     
    05:23
    Good penalty kill by Jelínek keeps the puck inside the Kärpät zone.
     
    06:17
    Kärpät powerplay unit still unable to get anything done.
     
    07:25
    Spang fired one with Donskoi in front, Lašák hangs on to the puck.
     
    07:53
    Icing called against the home team.
     
    08:12
    Urban, Derner and Vlach were looking to get deep into the Kärpät zone, but the puck ends up in the stands.
     
    08:34
    Bartek with a shot attempt, but he fanned on it.
     
    09:00
    Bartek with a good setup of Derner in front, Davis came down to block the shot.
     
    09:08
    Škoula set up for a one-timer by Bulíř, another block made by the Finnish team.
     
    09:21
    Filippi on the doorstep, he received a pass from Bulíř and redirected it just wide of the net.
     
    09:40
    Kärpät close to scoring another one with Lašák not in position and the puck taking a couple of bounces in front.
     
    11:07
    Hard shot by Vlach from the left wing, Karhunen stops it and holds on to the puck.
     
    11:12
    Long one-timer by Škoula kept out by Karhunen.
     
    11:32
    Víšek taken down in the corner, but he gets back up after a couple of seconds and it looks like this won't keep him out of the game for long.
     
    12:38
    Derner circled around the Kärpät net, but couldn't fire it on goal afterwards.
     
    14:00
    Big hit by Voráček on Vallin who got pretty deep to the Liberec zone.
     
    15:36
    Icing called against Liberec.
     
    15:59
    Huml got into a good position in front, but couldn't fire it on Lašák's net.
     
    17:01
    Spang once again looking to cause trouble in front of Lašák with a shot from the blue line.
     
    17:46
    Suoranta dangerous in front of Lašák, didn't fire the puck.
     
    19:09
    After a series of hard hits from both teams that nearly resulted into a brawl, Lasse Kukkonen (KÄR) gets penalized for holding.
     
    19:39
    Goal for Kärpät!
    Shorthanded goal for Oulu and the Finnish side takes a two-goal lead in dying seconds of the first period. Spang forced a Liberec turnover and sent Kemppainen ahead and the latter found JULIUS JUNTTILA with a great cross-ice feed enabling him to just fire it into the wide-open net. Assisted by Joonas Kemppainen and Dan Spang.
    Julius Junttila – 0:2
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    The first period wasn't much fun, but it did produce a couple of goals, both by the Finnish side. Patrick Davis opened the scoring just three minutes in and Julius Junttila doubled up the lead with 21 seconds left in the frame.
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    20:49
    Bartek decided to fire one with Voráček providing screen, Karhunen managed to keep it out.
     
    21:15
    Deschamps left all alone, but Kajínek was quickly getting back forcing him into a shot that got stopped by the pad of Lašák.
     
    22:42
    Huml dangerous along the left wing, but there was nobody to feed in front.
    Dan Spang – 0:3
     
    23:04
    Goal for Kärpät!
    Kärpät takes a three-goal lead following a great play by the second line. Good pass by Huml is converted by DAN SPANG who jumped in on the left side. Assisted by Ivan Huml and Joonas Komulainen.
     
    24:30
    Liberec trying to get back into this one, but the reigning Finnish champions are not letting them.
     
    26:55
    Oulu with a couple of good shots, but Lašák managed to keep them out.
     
    27:09
    Goal for Kärpät!
    Four-goal lead for the Finnish team. SIMON SUORANTA with a bad-angle shot that got past Lašák via the five-hole. That's also the end of the night for the Slovak goalie. Assisted by Ryan Glenn.
    Simon Suoranta – 0:4
     
    27:09
    Marek Schwarz replaces Ján Lašák between the pipes.
     
    28:39
    Goal for Liberec!
    The White Tigers get on the board halfway through the second period. Great pass by Bulíř set up TOMÁŠ FILIPPI in a great position in front and the latter had no problem one-timing it home to cut the lead to three. Assisted by Michal Bulíř.
    Tomáš Filippi – 1:4
     
    29:29
    Icing against Kärpät.
     
    29:57
    One-timer by Kemppainen denied by Schwarz.
     
    30:42
    Bartek was sent on a breakaway, but he didn't have enough speed and Glenn was able to catch up.
     
    32:27
    Pyorala had the puck in front of the open net, but Voráček managed to get to him just in time and get the puck away from his stick.
     
    33:57
    Bartek set up in a great position in front, pad save by Karhunen.
     
    34:14
    Spang came in as a trailer and he was set up well in front, Schwarz managed to make a great save to keep the puck out.
    Big chance for Kärpät
     
    36:02
    Patrick Davis (KÄR) gets two minutes for interference.
     
    37:14
    Shot by Vampola stopped in front, Oulu able to clear the puck out.
     
    38:47
    Hard shot by Huml in the left circle denied in front.
     
    38:59
    Goal for Liberec!
    And now the lead is cut in half. MICHAL BULÍŘ carried the puck in and shot one over the pad of Karhunen and in. Will the Tigers come back? Assisted by Jakub Valský.
    Michal Bulíř – 2:4
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    The second period had two goals from each of the two teams, Kärpät first jumped up into a 4-0 lead before having it cut to two goals by Tomáš Filippi and Michal Bulíř.
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    41:01
    Icing called against Kärpät.
     
    41:41
    Icing called against Liberec.
     
    42:12
    Shot by Eminger deflected into the corner by Plutnar.
     
    42:19
    Lukáš Derner (LIB) gets two minutes for interference.
     
    43:28
    Shorthanded break for Vampola, good pad save by Karhunen.
     
    44:10
    Liberec clears the puck.
     
    45:30
    Shot by Bulíř deflected up into the netting.
     
    45:37
    Goal for Liberec!
    The lead is cut to a single goal. MARTIN BARTEK makes the rest of the period very dramatic after he scores from the area between the circles. Assisted by Tomáš Filippi and Michal Bulíř.
    Martin Bartek – 3:4
     
    48:08
    Liberec looking for the equalizer, Škoula was set up well, but couldn't convert.
     
    48:33
    Great shot from the blue line by Derner, pad save made by Karhunen.
     
    49:34
    Mikko Niemelä (KÄR) gets two minutes for interference.
     
    50:20
    Good shot by Bartek just misses.
     
    52:01
    Icing against Liberec, commercial break coming up.
     
    53:28
    Long shot by Škoula taken care of by Karhunen, but Vampola almost got to the rebound.
     
    53:59
    Filippi fired one from the left wing, good save by Karhunen.
     
    54:40
    Icing against Kärpät.
     
    54:57
    Mikko Alikoski (KÄR) gets two minutes for roughing.
     
    55:10
    Filippi and Masuhr started swining at each other after a wrassle in the doorstep.
     
    55:39
    Ondřej Vitásek (LIB) gets a two for holding. 4 on 4 coming up.
     
    56:23
    Big glove save by Schwarz robbing Julius Junttila.
     
    56:55
    Good shot by Filippi deflected up high.
     
    57:51
    Blast of a one-timer by Glenn just missed the net.
     
    58:35
    Schwarz leaves the net, extra attacker is on.
     
    59:33
    Shot by Plutnar blocked in front.
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    Well-deserved victory for the Finnish side that even had a four-goal lead at one point of the game. Tigers managed to make the game more fun by scoring three unasnwered, but in the end, Kärpät will be returning home as winners. (22:17:41)
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    Commentary by

    Radoslav Vavřina

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 29. Filippi (Bulíř), 39. Bulíř (Valský), 46. Bartek (Filippi, Bulíř) – 3. Davis (Deschamps), 20. Junttila (Kemppainen, Spang), 24. Spang (Huml, Komulainen), 28. Suoranta (Glenn)

    Bílí Tygři Liberec: Lašák (28. Schwarz) – Voráček, Škoula, Vitásek, Kajínek, Derner, Plutnar, Šimek – Víšek, Bartek (C), Bulík – Valský, Filippi, Bulíř – Vampola, Jelínek, Jass – Vlach, Urban, Kica – Jonák.
    Kärpät Oulu: Karhunen (Tarkki) – Kukkonen (C), Masuhr, Spang, Glenn, Niemela, Vallin, Eminger – Pyorala, Deschamps, Davis – Maenalanen, Komulainen, Huml – Junttila, Kemppainen, Donskoi – Keranen, Suoranta, Alikoski – Manninen.
    Referees: W. Edqvist (SWE), M. Fraňo (CZE) – D. Jelínek (CZE), T. Pešek (CZE)