KHL
Admiral – HC Lada Togliatti 3:0 (end) | HC Slovan – Avangard 3:5 (end)
final
HC Slovan Bratislava
3:5 (0:3, 1:0, 2:2)
Avangard Omsk
Monday 08.12.2014, 19:30 • Slovnaft Arena • KHL
     
    There is the final buzzer, and Avangard Omsk have sailed to a 5:3 victory over HC Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia! They made it look more difficult than it actually was, as they had the game in their hands for long periods. Denis Kulyash, Sergey Kalinin, Denis Parshin and Alexander Perezhogin with a double sealed the deal, with Rok Ticar, Tomas Netik and Matt Murley replying for Slovan. Thanks for following the game with us, and see you again soon for more pulsating KHL action! (21:58:00)
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    59:46
    The Slovan head coach has promptly swapped his goaltender for the extra skater, but it isn't going to make any difference as Avangard are heading to an exciting 5:3 win away from home!
     
    59:31
    Goal for Slovan!
    The home fans have one last goal to celebrate! An aggressive effort takes a heavy ricochet up into the air, and MATT MURLEY bats it over the line from point blank range! It's 3:5! Assists- Michal Vondrka and Milan Bartovic
     
    58:13
    Goal for Avangard!
    If there were any doubts about the winner there sure isn't any more! The home back line is cut open as ALEXANDER PERZHOGIN paces down the right, and his dish is accidentally deflected in by a Slovan skate! It's 2:5!
     
    57:23
    The puck is hopefully whacked in on Avangard's net from just outside the blue line, and after a wicked deflection it shaves the bar! Goaltender Konstantin Barulin had to make a seriously acrobatic jump in a wild attempt to get something on it!
     
    55:40
    Roman Berdnikov now squeezes himself clean through directly through the middle, and from point blank range is denied by Jaroslav Janus! The action has picked up considerably during this period!
     
    54:22
    Goal for Slovan!
    It's been coming for a while now! The goalkeeper is drawn our horribly blocker side, the puck is swung across to the right wing, and TOMAS NETIK has no trouble one timing into the open corner of the net! It's 2:4! Assists- Rok Ticar and Ziga Jeglic
     
    53:35
    Slovan have been wasteful with the chances that have come their way during this period and that fourth goal could prove to be the killer, Avangard still are looking a bit shaky at the back though!
     
    52:54
    Bliznak! Immediately Slovan could have again given themselves a little bit of hope! The puck trickles all the way through to Mario Bliznak on the crease, but he takes too long getting an attempt away and the goaltender pokes it around into the boards!
     
    50:55
    Goal for Avangard!
    Avangard have most certainly burst Slovan's bubble with that marker! Erik Gustafsson wrists the puck in from the blue line, and ALEXANDER PEREZHOGIN cleverly deflects it past the helpless Jaroslav Janus! It's 1:4! Assists- Erik Gustafsson and Alexander Popov
     
    48:19
    Rok Ticar with heavy traffic piling up in front of him slaps the puck trying his luck, and it slightly predictably gets deflected up and out of play
     
    47:44
    You can feel the Slovnaft Arena crowd getting more and more involved in the game as time rolls on, their team are giving them more to cheer about now!
     
    45:12
    Netik! For the first time today Slovan are speeding forward with all of the momentum! Tomas Netik pulling to the left slaps with force, and the netminder denies him flashing leather expertly!
     
    44:18
    Ziga Jeglic dumps the puck in on net from a tough angle on the right wing, Konstantin Barulin fumbles it glove side, and he's lucky to see Stefan Ruzicka bundle the rebound wide off balance!
     
    41:45
    An unexpected and early timeout has been taken by the visitors, they have looked a bit sleepy emerging from the changing room and their head coach doesn't want any unneeded stress!
     
    41:15
    Ticar! That was extremely close to taking Slovan back to touching distance! Rok Ticar draws his stick back for a huge slapper on the left faceoff circle, and Konstantin Barulin has to duck as it screams over the crossbar!
     
    41:11
    Alexander Popov crawls down the left flank for Avangard, sweeps it across to the far post for an onrushing teammate, and it's just too far in front of him to catch up with!
     
    40:41
    The third period has begun! Avangard will be disappointed to having conceded right at the end of the previous frame, and need to keep their concentration!
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    Statistics after the opening 40 minutes:

    Shots: 31-35
    Shots on target: 25-17
    Faceoffs: 15-17
    Hits: 6-7
    Penalty minutes: 6-4
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    39:44
    Goal for Slovan!
    Would you believe that, just as I mentioned how unhappy the home crowd were Slovan get on the board! A juicy rebound pops out to the doorstep, and ROK TICAR makes no mistake with the net practically empty! It's 1:3! Assists- Michal Sersen
     
    39:33
    The final few moments of a pretty turgid second stanza are now upon us, with the Slovnaft Arena crowd whistling in disgust against their team!
     
    36:12
    Just as I say that Slovan's Tomas Netik has space falling up against the right hand boards, slaps as hard as he can, and the goalkeeper fends it off near post with his body
     
    35:05
    Sergey Kalinin with a behind the back pass frees up Evgeniy Kulik, the latter takes aim from the left faceoff circle, and Jaroslav Janus reasonably comfortably kicks it out of danger. The action is all coming at one end, Avangard's Konstantin Barulin is a true spectator!
     
    33:17
    Sobotka! A fourth would have surely completely killed this thing! Vladimir Sobotka is all alone between the circles, he appears to have the goaltender beaten, but instead of hitting the net he thumps the right post! The crowd took a sudden intake of breath there!
     
    32:23
    Kirill Rasskazov plays a neat give and go with a teammate on the doorstep, goes with the backhand looking for the right hand post, and Jaroslav Janus watches it drift only inches wide!
     
    31:09
    Tom Wandell barges everyone out of his way flying in off the left wing, attempts to go for a tricky wraparound, and is pushed off the puck just in time!
     
    29:33
    The game really has calmed right down at this minute, Slovan can't get the puck anywhere near Avangard's zone, with the visitors calmly knocking it about edging forward
     
    26:24
    Valery Vasiliev slaps the puck with force from the point, and goaltender Jaroslav Janus shuts the five hole in time to kick it out. He hasn't had a lot to do yet apart from pick the puck out from the back of his net three times
     
    22:45
    However Avangard also didn't manage to cause their opponents any problems, and Slovan have five players back in the action. It is a very quiet Slovnaft Arena today, with the stadium being only half full! That is very unusual too
     
    22:45
    And now it's Avangard's turn to have a man's advantage for the second time, as Slovan defenceman Martin Stajnoch has been found guilty of hooking
     
    22:00
    Slovan didn't manage to get any efforts away on target though and their opponents are back at full strength
     
    20:41
    The second stanza has now begun! Slovan have been all over the place so far, and have to regroup! Remember that they are on the powerplay for the beginning of the period
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    There was a late penalty call just as the buzzer sounded, with Avangard's Nikolay Lemtyugov being punished for hooking.

    Statistics after the first period:

    Shots: 23-16
    Shots on target: 17-10
    Faceoffs: 9-10
    Hits: 3-3
    Penalty minutes: 4-2
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    19:40
    It really has been the period from hell from Slovan, who have a mountain to climb if they are to get back into things! And it's now the final seconds of the opening frame
     
    18:59
    Goal for Avangard!
    They're running away with it now! The Slovan defence goes AWOL as it's a two on one, and the puck is squared to DENIS PARSHIN to the right of the slot who makes no mistake! It's 0:3! Assists- Vladimir Sobotka
     
    18:27
    Not a lot was created at all during that time and it's a full strength affair again
     
    16:27
    The home fans are booing loudly about that goal, they feel that the goaltender had already frozen the puck! The goal stands though, and it's going to be a four on four hockey game for a couple of minutes as Chad Kolarik of Avangard and Slovan's Ziga Jeglic have been called for roughing
     
    15:54
    Goal for Avangard!
    Immediately the visitors take advantage of that to make it two! Denis Parshin spins to the left post behind the net, squeezes it across to SERGEY KALININ, and the latter just about forces it over the line! Powerplay goal and it's 0:2! Assists- Denis Parshin
     
    15:45
    The first penalty of the day has been called and it's against the hosts, as defenceman Ivan Baranka has been penalised for holding
     
    15:26
    The Slovan head coach can be seen shaking his head on the bench, he isn't satisfied at all about conceding that goal as his team were trying to make themselves more comfortable!
     
    13:45
    Goal for Avangard!
    It is indeed Avangard who draw first blood! DENIS KULYASH gets in all kinds of space on the right faceoff circle, he winds up for a fearsome wrister, and it powers into the far corner! It's 0:1! Assists- Chad Kolarik
     
    12:34
    The puck is hammered in from the left wing by Peter Olvecky, and after it cannons back off the boards blocker side Konstantin Barulin covers. He hasn't had a lot to do yet, as not an awful lot of shots are being fired in at either end
     
    09:06
    Kuryanov! He looked sure to hit the net! Anton Kuryanov powering through the Slovan zone takes a poke at the puck from the doorstep, and Jaroslav Janus has to make an heroic save with his right pad to keep it out!
     
    07:59
    Icing is committed by Avangard. Despite the visitors starting off the more dangerous it's a very even match so far, with no team being able to get set up in the zone for a prolonged amount of time
     
    06:01
    Sersen! Now both sides have hit the frame of the goal! Michal Sersen closes down on the right, no one comes out to meet him, and he wrists hard against the right post! The pace is high and entertaining here!
     
    04:23
    Michal Vondrka skates on to the left faceoff circle, lets rip, and Konstantin Barulin has to head it away with his mask! Slovan are seeing the majority of the possession now, as they look to settle into the game
     
    01:53
    Tomas Starosta gets Slovan's first attack of the day going as he jinks down the left flank, backhands from up close, and goaltender Konstantin Barulin clings on to it
     
    01:11
    Kalinin! What a fantastic early opportunity to give Avangard the breakthrough! Sergey Kalinin charges clean through one on one, and with Jaroslav Janus beaten he contrives to smack the right hand post!
     
    00:09
    Off we go inside the Slovnaft Arena in Slovakia! Slovan need to recuperate in front of their own fans, however they are facing stiff opponents!
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    The teams are now out on to the ice, and after the Slovakian and Russian national anthems we'll be getting underway!
     
    Starting lineups:

    HC Slovan Bratislava: Janus (Baros)- Sersen, Starosta, Ruzicka, Nedorost, Surovy- Stajnoch, Baranka, Jeglic, Ticar, Netik- Sigalet, Brejcak, Murley, Bartovic, Vondrka- Luza, Bliznak, Stastny, Olvecky

    Avangard Omsk: Barulin (Shilin)- Blatak, Gustafsson, Sobotka, Parshin, Kalinin- Lyamin, Kulyash, Berdnikov, Lemtyugov, Wandell- Vasiliev, Pivtsakin, Popov, Perezhogin, Kolarik- Kulik, Rasskazov, Kuryanov, Lauta, Semyonov

    Referees: Sergey Gusev, Vladimir Bukin, Dmitriy Sivov, Sergey Shelyanin.
     
    Last season both failed to make the Gagarin Cup playoffs, with Avangard eventually winning the Nadezhda Cup.
     
    Slovan were showing signs of real promise during the opening weeks of the new KHL campaign, but they have since fallen away with alarming rate, having lost three out of their past five outings and occupying 13th place of the Western Conference with 43 points. Avangard on the other hand have been excellent, lying in 2nd of the Eastern Conference with 72 to their name.
     
    Good evening and welcome to this KHL regular season match between HC Slovan Bratislava and Avangard Omsk. The hosts are struggling at the moment, and will be hoping for a change of fortunes today.
     
    Welcome. Game starts at 19:30.
    Commentary by

    Shaun Nicolaides

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 40. Ticar (Sersen), 55. Netik (Ticar, Jeglic), 60. Murley (Vondrka, Bartovic) – 14. Kulyash (Kolarik), 16. Kalinin (Parshin), 19. Parshin (Sobotka), 51. Perezhogin (Gustafsson, Popov), 59. Perezhogin

    HC Slovan Bratislava: Janus (Baros)- Sersen, Starosta, Ruzicka, Nedorost, Surovy- Stajnoch, Baranka, Jeglic, Ticar, Netik- Sigalet, Brejcak, Murley, Bartovic, Vondrka- Luza, Bliznak, Stastny, Olvecky
    Avangard Omsk: Barulin (Shilin)- Blatak, Gustafsson, Sobotka, Parshin, Kalinin- Lyamin, Kulyash, Berdnikov, Lemtyugov, Wandell- Vasiliev, Pivtsakin, Popov, Perezhogin, Kolarik- Kulik, Rasskazov, Kuryanov, Lauta, Semyonov
    Referees: Sergey Gusev, Vladimir Bukin, Dmitriy Sivov, Sergey Shelyanin
    Attendance: 7504