GOOD PERFORMANCE, BUT NO POINTS

HC SLOVAN Bratislava - CSKA Moscow 2:3 (1:0, 0:0, 1:3)

Goals: 4. J. Mikúš (Bartovič), 52. Kukumberg (Mojžíš, Sigalet) - 42. Pervyshin (Shirokov), 48. Fefelov (I. Grigorenko, Nepryayev), 55. I. Filppula (I. Zubov, Shirokov)

Penalties: 5:4 (2 min.); Powerplay Goals: 0:1; Shorthanded: 0:1. Officials: Bondar, Gusev - Birin, Sazonov. Attendance: 10,055

Lineups:
HC SLOVAN: Janus - Škoula, Kutlák, Sersen, Mojžíš, Štajnoch, Sigalet - Netík, J. Mikúš, Bartovič - Miklík, Ölvecký, Vondrka - Kukumberg, Bližňák, L. Hudáček - M. Daňo, Matoušek, R. Mráz
CSKA Moscow: Staňa - Misharin, Pervyshin, Goncharov, Naumenkov, D. Markov, Ogurtsov, Kurbatov - Zharkov, Prokhorkin, I. Grigorenko - I. Zubov, I. Filppula, Shirokov - Morozov, Nepryayev, Saprykin - Lyubimov, Fefelov, F. Fiodorov – Zainullin

Slovan started the game positively, surprising their opponents with a number of shots, but CSKA’s Slovak goalie Staňa made several fine saves. In the 4^th minute, J. Mikúš found Bartovič, who shot from the left wing. Mikúš picked up the rebound, and his hook back from behind the goal struck Staňa’s skate and trickled into the net – 1:0. During a powerplay, Saprykin guiding the flying puck into the Slovan net, only for the video-referee to disallow the goal for high sticking. Filppula then attempted to outwit Janus at the near post, but Janus was equal to the task.

In the second period, both goalies were in action, Staňa keeping out Hudáček’s effort from between the circles, and Janus saving efforts from Fefelov and Misharin. In the 29^th minute, Kukumberg broke away from the CSKA defense, slotted home and turned away to celebrate. But, not for the first time that night, the goal was disallowed, this time for a penalty already called against Daňo. Kukumberg was soon threatening again, first firing into Staňa’s pads, then seeing another effort caught by the goalie. Prokhorkin could have equalized just before the break, but failed to cause Janus any problem.

The start of the third period saw Bližňák penalized for boarding, giving the Muscovites a minute of five-on-three powerplay, which Pervyshin duly converted from the left circle – 1:1. Slovan threatened when Mráz picked out Daňo in the 46^th minute, but his shot didn’t find the target. Two minutes later, the visitors took the lead as a penalty kill came to an end. Fefelov - coming out of the sin bin just as CSKA broke away – was on hand to finish off a simple chance from Grigorenko’s pass – 1:2. But Slovan drew level in the 52^nd minute, Kukumberg shooting through the defense to beat Staňa – 2:2. Alas, disappointment was still to come. In the 5^th minute, Shirokov won the puck in the corner and passed to Zubov, who in turn picked out Filppula, and the Finn squeezed the puck through Janus – 2:3. With a minute to go, Slovan pulled the goalie, but the numerical advantage brought no change to the score.