CHL gameday liveblog 23.8. (running)
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CHL gameday liveblog 23.8.

Tuesday 23.08.2016, 13:00Champions Hockey League gameday liveblog

     
    Crazy finish in Lulea! 3 goals in the last 22 seconds!

    First an empty-netter made it 3-1, Lulea got it right back to make it 3-2, and finally another empty-netter makes it a 4-2 win for SaiPa.

    SaiPa now 1st place in Group I with 6 points, followed by 3 points for Eisbaren Berlin and Lulea Hockey, the 2014-15 champions, still with 0. (22:27:19)
     
    Game over in Lugano, Tappara wins 3-1. All three teams in that group now have 2 points and still have to play each other once each. Very tight.
     
    Goal SaiPa with just under 5 minutes to go! Eetu Koski jumps on the loose puck and they now lead 2-1 in Lulea.
     
    4 minutes left in Lugano, 3-1 Tappara

    12 minutes left in Lulea, 1-1, SaiPa to the power play.
     
    Goal Lulea! KAEL MOUILLIERAT, their goal-scorer in Berlin, has tied it 1-1 in the 2nd minute of the 3rd period. Still a long way to go in northern Sweden.
     
    3-1 Tappara! Henrik Happala. Still 10 minutes to go in Lugano.
     
    Game over in Linz!

    Amazing comeback by Kosice to overcome an 0-3 deficit and win 4-3 to stay alive. Both teams now have 3 points and their aggregate score is 6-6. Both teams still have one game in Bern remaining. If they remained tied in points, it will go down to their overall score within the group to decide 2nd place.
     
    Goal Kosice! They lead 4-3! With just 4:35 to play, Marek Bartanus's weak-angle shot hits the arm of Ouzas and trickles in. Big finish coming up . . .
     
    2nd period done in Lulea, still 1-0 SaiPa.
     
    Now Tappara take the lead in Lugano, ARTTU ILOMAKI beats Manzato after a beautiful combination with Nurmi.
     
    And now it's 3-3! Eduard Sedivy with the big blast! Wow! What a comeback by Kosice, and it's not over yet. Still more than half a period to go in Linz.
     
    And look at this! Goal Kosice! They're fighting for their lives, and now they're down by just a goal with still 16:43 to play. Don't go anywhere!
     
    Lugano-Tappara now in the 2nd intermission tied at 1.

    Linz-Kosice underway in the 3rd period. Linz lead 3-1. If they hold on to win, they're through to the next round.
     
    The second period is underway in Lulea. Mikael Kuronen has the goal there that has SaiPa in front 1-0.
     
    In Lugano, Otso Rantakari's nifty re-direct while being checked in front of the net has tied the score for Tappara. 1-1 is the score as the game approaches its midpoint, with the Finnish club looking for its first points.
     
    And just as I say that, Marek Bartanus scores to give the eastern Slovakian club a ray of hope. Still, they're down by 2 with just over 20 minutes to go.
     
    Kosice in real trouble now with Linz up 3-0. Linz on the verge of qualifying for the Round of 32 for the first time.
     
    Minsk win it in OT! It's not a power-play goal, as it was 1 second after the penalty ended, but close enough. Jesse Niinimaki and now Yunost need only 1 more point from their last two games to join the Lakers in the Round of 32.
     
    Game over in Znojmo, Red Bull Munich win 4-3.

    Munich now move even with Fribourg-Gotteron with 3 points in Group F. Fribourg, of course, have a game in hand. Znojmo will look for their first points another day.
     
    and with the game in Minsk going to overtime, the Vaxjo Lakers are now through to the Round of 32!

    They now have 5 points, which Mlada Boleslav can only tie. If the two teams finish tied, Vaxjo get the tie-breaker based on winning their head-to-head series.
     
    Hat-trick Libor Sulak! He scores another goal on the power play. Znojmo now within one and they almost tie it right after but Dennis auf der Birken makes a huge save on a penalty shot!

    What action in the late going in Znojmo!
     
    Now Jerome Flakke fires home a loose puck in front and it's 4-2 Munich! They're rolling now.
     
    3-2 Munich! Sthot re-directed off the post and in, and so the German champs are in the lead with less than 9 minutes left.
     
    Goal Lugano! Dario Burgler opens the scoring on home ice by putting in a rebound on the power play.
     
    One period done in Linz, and the Black Wings have the start they wanted, leading 1-0.
     
    2-2, Munich have tied it! Captain Michael Wolff late in the power play.
     
    Lugano-Tappara are underway.
     
    A couple of goals.

    First ... Vaxjo tied the game in Minsk on a 5-on-3 power play. Remember, all they need is 1 point tonight to guarantee their spot in the Round of 32. Yunost need 3, but they have two more games after tonight, so they'll take what they can get tonight.

    Second ... David Dasilva opened the scoring for Linz at home vs Kosice. Dasilva scored the winner when the two teams played in Kosice a few days ago. Linz need a win of any kind to see themselves through, and Kosice need a win to stay alive.
    Our last game of the night is Lulea Hockey hosting SaiPa Lappeenranta at 20:00 CET, 21:00 EET. Watch SaiPa walk from their dressing room out to the ice for the pre-game warm-up.


     
    And our third game of the night, Black Wings Linz hosting HC Kosice, is minutes away from facing off . . .
     
    2nd periods done in Minsk and Znojmo, and the home teams are in front by a goal in each:

    Yunost Minsk 3, Vaxjo Lakers 2
    Orli Znojmo 2, Red Bull Munich 1
     
    3-2 Minsk with 1:58 left in the 2nd. Alexander Kogalev gives Yunost their first lead of the game with a very nice individual move!

     
    Johan Hilding the penalty shot for Vaxjo, goes to his backhand but is denied by the left pad of Alexander Trianichev.
     
    And Znojmo take the lead 2-1! Libor Sulak again, with a slapper from the point on a 5-on-3 power play.
     
    Minsk tie it up again, 2-2! Daniel Corso on the power play.
     
    5-minute power play coming up for Munich, as Znojmo's Radek Cip checks Matthew Smarby head-first into the glass and gets called for boarding. End of the night for Cip.
     
    We're back with second period action in Znojmo and Minsk.

    Remember, you can follow both games, and in fact every CHL game, in the Gamecentre.
     
    1st period over in both games.

    Znojmo & Munich are tied 1-1, while Vaxjo leads 2-1 in Minsk.
     
    Znojmo tie it 1-1! Sulak the wrister through traffic finds its way with 1:19 left in the 1st.
     
    2-1 Vaxjo! Cory Murphy with the deflection in the late going of the 1st period.
     
    Shorthanded goal by Munich! What a shot by Keith Aucoin to open the scoring.
     
    1-1 in Minsk! Anton Yeliseyenko nicely converts the pass from behind the net.
     
    Vaxjo's Adam Brodecki with the day's first goal, quickly converting a pass on the left side. 1-0 Lakers in Minsk.
    Later tonight, HC Lugano host Tappara Tampere at 19:45 CET, 20:45 EET.

    Tappara lost their first game in Mannheim, whereas Lugano won there -- so Tappara looking to knot up that group at 2 points apiece at the midpoint -- they can do that with a regulation win.

    Game day! #tappara #championshockeyleague #chl #HCLvsTAP

    A photo posted by Tampereen Tappara (@tapparafansofficial) on

     
    Red Bull Munich to the early power play on the road.
     
    And we're underway on two fronts – from Znojmo and Minsk.

    Follow each game individually in Gamecentre!
    Pre-game warm-ups underway!


    Meanwhile, the Vaxjo Lakers enjoy a pre-game meal in Minsk. They can qualify for the next round with a single point tonight.

    Matchdagslunch på hotellet efter dagens värmning ????

    A photo posted by Växjö Lakers (@vaxjolakers) on

    HC Kosice taking their game-day skate prior to their big game in Linz. It's do or die for them tonight.

    Calm before the storm.





    They'll try, but standing in their way will be Orli Znojmo, who are making their CHL debut on home ice, and you can bet the fans in South Moravia will be ready.
     
    Of course, we saw a lot of great hockey on Game Days 1 & 2. Yesterday the new season of CHL Centre Ice debuted.

    If you missed it, watch analyst John Tripp break down all the action from last week on CHL Centre Ice: Tripp's Tips.
     
    After a day off, CHL action is back on Tuesday with five games. Read here for previews.
     
    Welcome. Event starts at 13:00.

    Luke Fisher