Drama in Season Finale!

HC SLOVAN Bratislava - Jokerit Helsinki 2:3 (OT) (0:1, 0:1, 2:0 - 0:1)

Goals: 49. Nagy (Brejčák), 52. Murley (Hudáček, Baranka) - 2. Sallinen (Peltola), 36. Gunderson (Sallinen, Aaltonen), 65. Korpikari (Omark). Officials: Jeřábek, Sergeyev - Balodis, Birin.

Penalties: 2:3, Powerplay goals: 1:0, Shorthanded: 0:0, Changes and substitutions: 41. Lunter for Rehák (Slovan). Attendance: 10,055 (sold out).

HC SLOVAN Bratislava: Backlund - Sersen, Baranka, Brejčák, Barker, Mihálik - Jeglič, Tičar, Nagy - Hudáček, Murley, Bartovič - Netík, Šťastný, Rehák
Jokerit Helsinki: Helenius - Gunderson, Korpikari, Peltola, Väänänen, Todd, Ohtamaa - Huhtala, Kapanen, Hagman - Aaltonen, Wirtanen, Sallinen - Moses, Koukal, Omark - Pöysti, Hahl, Mäki

The Sky Blues slept through the opening stages, forcing Backlund to save from Wirtanen within the first minute. Just seconds later, they had already conceded - Sallinen let fly a shot which hit the top corner at the near post - 0:1. The hosts responded in the form of an imprecise effort from Šťastný, but it was the visitors who dictated the tempo in the first period. Omark got away from the home defence and came at Backlund, but the Swede squeezed out the shot with his shoulder. Hagman soon came up with a chance, but lost it from a good position. The home team's biggest chance came in the 13th minute, when Jeglič latched onto the rebound from Nagy's shot, but he missed the target under pressure. Both sides were playing a fast type of hockey, without needless stoppages from the officials; Jokerit showed elegance in their easy skating, while the hosts showed courage and fight.

In the 24th minute, Moses worked his way towards goal, and Brejčák resorted to tripping to stop him. Slovan defended the resulting penalty without great alarm, and then launched into a fine passage of play. Finishes from Murley, Brejčák and Mihálik all cried out for an equaliser, Helenius retained his clean sheet in the Jokerit net. Half-way through the game, the spectators witnesssed two solo breaks: first, home captain Bartovič was unable to outsmart Helenius, while Backlund managed to parry after Aaltonen's feint. In the 36th minute, the league's top scorer - Moses - weaved his way round Mihálik, forcing Bakclund once again to show his craft. But even he was unable to stop Gunderson's well-placed shot soon after, the American defenseman making it 2:0 to the Jokers.

Upping their efforts in the third period, Slovan managed to break in numbers in the 48th minute, but Lunter missed when well placed. They put that right a minute later, when Bagy skated in front of goal from the left, sold Helenius, and slotted the puck past his prostrate figure - 1:2. And that wasn't all, as the Slovnaft Arena exploded for a second time in the 52nd minute; this time, Murley kept his composure to knock in a rebound - 2:2. Slovan sensed that Jokerit were vulnerable, and put all their efforts into attack. But it was the visitors who could have sealed the game late in the period, but neither Wirtanen nor Hagman could find the decisive finish.

Thus, the game moved on into overtime, where Korpikari made the winning contribution just 28 seconds from the end.

Petri Matikainen, Slovan: "I'm pleased we were able to fight back from a difficult position and equalise. A point against such opponents has its worth. Bratislava is a great city for hockey, but the situation is difficult; I'm sorry it has to end like this."