ANOTHER GREAT SLOVAN COMEBACK!

HC SLOVAN Bratislava - Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 4:2 (0:2, 3:0, 1:0)

Goals: 21. Bartovič (Ölvecký), 30. Vondrka (Bližňák, Trončinský), 33. T. Mikúš (B. Mráz, A. Šťastný), 45. Vondrka (Bližňák, Miklík) - 3. P. Kulikov (J. Alshevsky, Yarullin), 13. Tolpeko (Yarullin, Lyuduchin)

Penalties: 2:3 (2 min.), Powerplay Goals: 1:0, Shorthanded: 0:0. Officials: Bukin, Vasiliev - Balodis, Ivanov. Attendance: 10,055.

Lineups:
HC SLOVAN: Janus - Škoula, Sigalet, V. Mihálik, Trončinský, Štajnoch, Mojžíš - Miklík, Bližňák, Vondrka - Bartovič, J. Mikúš, Ölvecký - Šatan, Radivojevič, L. Hudáček - B. Mráz, A. Šťastný, T. Mikúš 

Nizhnekamsk: Sudnitsin (33. Dalton) - N. Belov, Yarullin, Mamashev, Belyakov, Kosmachyov, M. Berezin, (28. S. Romanov) - Khokhryakov, Polygalov, Rybin - Lyuduchin, Cibák, Tolpeko - Trunyov, Taratukhin, Belousov - S. Alshevsky, P. Kulikov, J. Alshevsky

Slovan actually started their first post-Christmas game positively, but Kulikov opened for the visitors in the 3^rd minute, slotting into the open net as Janus was impeded by the prostrate Alshevsky and Trončinský – 0:1. Bratislava continued to play positive hockey, making some promising attempts, but Sudnitsin was on guard. A penalty shot for Vondrka in the 10^th minute likewise drew a blank. Nizhnekamsk played carefully at the back and threatened on the counter attack. The game gradually grew into a struggle for center ice, then Tolpeko shot through the defence from the edge of the left circle to double to score – 0:2.

Just 39 seconds into the middle period, Bartovič‘s flick from the right side found the net, thanks to Juraj Mikúš shielding Sudnitsin – 1:2. The tempo increased, Slovan had the better of it, Vondrka having three good shooting opportunities. At the other end, Janus kept his team in the game with several saves. In a powerplay half-way through the game, Vondrka equalized, his shot from the right squeezing in at the near post – 2:2. Two minutes later, Tomáš Mikúš completed the turnaround with his first goal of the season 3:2.

Dalton took over in goal for the visitors, and he was called on to keep out several good chances. But he was beaten by Vondrka in the 45^th, Bližňák’s pass from the corner setting him up perfectly to flick into the top corner – 4:2. Slovan continued the upwards direction from the second period, seldom allowing the opposition near Janus, who in any case stood firm when called upon.

Rostislav Čada: “Even though we were behind 2:0 after the first period, we led 12:4 in terms of shots on goal and we were putting pressure on the opposition. After that we upped the pressure, created chances and converted them. In the final period we continued with good physical effort. The only disappoint is perhaps not converting chances when we outnumbered them, or in powerplays. We could and should have scored more goals.”