Welcome. Game starts at 19:00.

Hello and welcome tonights live-commentary, my name is Robin Lindgren and i will provide you with everything that happens on the ice between Djurgårdens IF (SWE) and Tappara (FIN) tonight.

This will be the first match in Group 2 of this years Champions Hockey League. Besides from tonights rivals, Djurgården and Tappara, team Zug from Schweiz will jump in to action in day 2 of the tournament in one of the toughest groups this year.

Mikael Ahlen from Djurgarden know what to expect from teams from the Liiga: “Meeting Finnish teams usually means tough games in a high pace and I am sure that will be the case against Tappara as well,” he said. “We are three teams in the group and they games will all be tough but our goal is to move on from the group stage.”

"After months of preparing and teambuilding, Djurgårdens IF now looks forward to a new season with new players and bigger dreams than last year that ended early for the team from the capital city of Sweden when Luleå HF, reigning champions of CHL, knocked Djurgården out in the first stage of the swedish playoffs. But after a strong silly season where they managed to sign plenty of top-tier players as Linus Hulström, Tomi Sallinen, Matt Anderson and last, but not least, one of the best forwards in Europe Patrick Thoresen from the KHL-champions SKA ST Petersburg, the swedish team goes in to this season with higher expectations. Unfortunately Thoresen will not play the upcoming CHL-games due to an injured back, of course a major setback for Djurgårdens IF."

One of the hardest things for an icehockey-player truly is losing the gold that you´ve been struggling for all winter long, and an even bigger upset is losing the noble metal when you´ve reached the finals through a long and tough journey in the playoffs. Just ask Tappara, a team that´ve lost the gold three years in a row, after reaching the finals all of these years. The most recently, heartbreaking, loss came earlier this year when they failed to beat Kärpät in the finals. It was an intense, interesting and exciting showdown that took place in the SM-Liiga playoffs , a showdown that got to its end when Sebastian Aho buried the puck in the net in sudden death for Kärpät in game seven of the finals. For Tappara that was the second year straight they lost to Kärpät in the finals and, as stated before, the third time total.

"Third time's the charm", thats how the saying goes. But for Tappara this saying has changed, and going into this season the hometown fans in Tampere hopes that the fourth time's the charm as their favorite team has really been strengthening their roster with three quality players, all three with experience from the Swedish Hockey League last season. Stephen Dixon, Veli-Matti Savinainen and Jani Lajunen. Lajunen who was a part of the Växjö Lakers that in April this year earned the Champions-title in Sweden after a tough six game series against the giants in Swedish icehockey, Skellefteå AIK.


- Obviously Tappara has a great team, i mean the records speak for themselves with three straight second places. And i´ve seen that they been signing three great players that i know from this league and that'll just make them even better as a team, says Henrik Eriksson of Djurgårdens IF and continues:

Starting lineups:

Djurgården Stockholm: Tellqvist (Armalis) – Högström, Holm, Hultström, Falk, Englund, Ollas-Mattsson, Westlund – Fällström, Sallinen, Sörensen – Anderson, Brodin, Lundberg – Vejdemo, Alvarez, Ljungh – Rundqvist, Ahlen, Bernhardt – Eriksson

Tappara Tampere: Noronen (Karhunen) – Saravo, Aalto, Kankaanperä, Plastino, Elorinne, Bonsaksen, Mäkinen – Dixon, Savinainen, Kuusela – Lajunen, Haapala, Järvinen – Ilomäki, Laine, Peltola – Kaksonen, Rauhala, Tuomisto – Karjalainen

Referees: Piechaczek (GER), Sjöberg – Dahmén, Altberg (all SWE).

We are looking at two teams with high expectations from the fans and maybe even more from themselves. Djurgårdens IF is one of the most classical clubs in Sweden there is, and holds a great history of many titles and historical players.

- One of the most traditional teams in Europe, we have been playing against eachother alot of times through the years, most recently two years ago in the European Trophy. I remember those matches as two good and tough games, says Mikko Leinonen, general manager of Tappara to Djurgårdens website.

Djurgårdens IF usually plays their home games in Johanneshov Arena, built in 1962 and with a maximum capacity of 8094. Tonight that wont be the case though, because Johanneshov will stand host for a big e-sport event which forces Djurgården to move this match over to Swedens famously known arena, Globen.

In seven minutes this game will start, are you guys as excited as me? Finally some competitive icehockey!

The teams enters the ice and we are about the get the first period going any minute now.

Tonights referee, Sjöberg, drops the puck and the game is finally live!

Marcus Sörensen goes offensive in the first shift and puts the puck to the net, but Noronen saves and we have a faceoff waiting to the left of Tapparas goalie.

The referee raises his arm and we have the first penalty of this game.

Henrik Haapala, 2:00+10:00 for Checking from behind. Power play Djurgården 5-4.

I did not get the name of the penalized player, i'll get back to that.

Djurgården gets the start that they want in this match and Tappara now has to start this game down one goal.

Tappara tries to get some offensive game going, but Djurgården is strong on their own end.

What an intense start of this game, the players are flying out there and the team changes puck possession with eachother.

Noronen gets a hold of the puck and we have a faceoff waiting.

Djurgården looks really strong early in this game and the finnish team's defense is under heavy fire.

Djurgårdens 1st line with Sörensen, Sallinen, Fällström looks really strong and on every shift thus far they´ve been a complete terror for Tappara.

Vejdemo with a sloppy play on his own defensive blue-line, and Tappara gets a nice chance to tie this game but Tellqvist comes up huge with a nice save.

Tappara gets into this game more and more, and the last minute has been all about the finnish team.

WE HAVE A FIGHT! Mikael Ahlen and Marcus Kankaanperä drops their gloves and goes one on one.

Kankaanperä wins this fight with more punches delivered than Ahlen. Both players gets 5+game for this.

No extra minutes on the board, and we´ll continue this match with five players each on the ice. Ahlen and Kankaanperä will not play more this night.

Tappara continues to play well and this match is now more even, after Djurgårdens good start.

Wow! Tappara comes in a fast 2 versus 1 breakaway but Tellqvist comes up huge again and saves his Djurgården from a goal.

The home crowd yells loudly after their homeplayer, Sörensen, goes to the ice in front of the net. But the referee doesnt agree and holds his arm down.

The game has stepped down a notch in quality after the great start. Both teams are missing easy passes.

Both teams are struggling right now and nothing really happens out there right now.

Tappara defends the defensive zone well, and Djurgården cant setup their PP.

Visiting team at full strength.

The 2nd period is live!

Stephen Dixon gets the first chance to score in this period and its really, really close.

Sörensen gets a 1 on 1 after a long saucer pass from Högström, Sörensen fails to capitalize and misses the net widely.

Tappara continues to plays well and rides the wave of success from the first period, and right now is the team most close to scoring the next goal.

Vejdemo creats two high quality chances for the home-team but Noronen saves twice.

The team changes puck posession with eachother and the puck goes coast to coast right now.

Tapparas penalty-kill goes huge and kills the first 30 second of this penalty.

Alexander Bonsakens penalty is over and Djurgården now plays 5-on-4.

Djurgården fails to setup their PP and Tappara has no problem to defend theirselves at the moment.

Wow! Two quick goals, and the game is tied at 2-2.

Its still August, and we´re only weeks into this season, but both teams plays very well and its right now a really interesting match out there.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. The puck is just going into the net right now, three goals in a short period of time.

Djurgården looks chocked of the last two goals, and the good start is now just a faded memory.

The first line in Djurgåden, with Sörensen, Sallinen and Fällström, continues to play well though. So far the best line in this match.

Tappara has great control of this game right now, Djurgården doesnt even get close to the net. And when they do, the strong defenders in Tappara steps up and says NO.

Tappara sets up their PP and moves the puck between the team in a very impressive way.

Sörensen and Sallinen breaks Tapparas PP and goes to an offensive rush. Sallinen puts the puck to the net, but Noronen saves.

Tappara is back in the offensive zone and it gets intense right away, but Tellqvist comes up huge with a great save.

Home team at full strength.

One minute of play remains of the second period.

Tappara wins the faceoff and clears the puck.

Third period has started, and we have 20 really exciting minutes ahead of us.

Djurgården will start this period with 90 seconds of Power play 5-on-4.

Hultström shoots the puck to the net and Noronen blocks it.

Djurgården fails to setup the PP and has to re-structure in their own zone.

Aaltos penalty is over and Tappara now has 4 players on the ice.

Tapparas penalty-kill is a big reason to why they are still in the lead, combined with a weak PP from Djurgården.

Djurgården now plays with 4 players on the ice.

Marcus Högström, who just entered the ice after his penalty, clears the puck from the defensive zone and Tappara has to start over.

Home team at full strength.

Tappara continues to apply a good pressure in Djurgårdens zone. The finnish team looks solid and it will take a massive effort from Djurgården to turn this game around.

Sallinen tries to beat Noronen five hole, but Noronen goes huge with a nice save.

Djurgården struggles to setup their PP but seems to lack confidence and misses alot of easy passes.

But Tapparas penalty kill deserves another shoutout, they have been playing very well this game.

Visiting team at full strength.

The first half of the period passed by really fast, and the time is getting low for Djurgården. As it seems right now the home-team doesnt have what it takes to get back into this game.

Sallinen fails to win the faceoff and Tappara puts the puck deep into Djurgårdens zone.

Djurgården sets up their PP, with Sallinen, Högström, Fällström, Eriksson and Sörensen on the ice. Thats the strongest possible PP-team that they can play right now.

Today's attendance is 2127.

Tappara clears the puck and Högström is forced to start over in Djurgårdens defensive zone.

Visiting team at full strength.

The home crowd tries to boost some morale in their favourite team by chanting loudly. Will it work though?

And with that goal, Tappara now will win this game i dare to say. Djurgården seems to be a defeated team and doesnt show anything that tells me that they'll get back into this game.

Falk and Kuusela is back on the ice after their penalties and Tappara now has a 5-on-4 advantage.

Its 68 seconds left on the clock, and 38 of these seconds Djurgården will play with a man disadvantage.

One minute to play is remaning of the third period.

Lajunen gets a nice chance to increase Tapparas lead, but Tellqvist denies him.