First Period Buries Slovan Hopes

HC SLOVAN Bratislava - Avangard Omsk 3:5 (0:3, 1:0, 2:2)

Goals: 40. Tičar (Sersen), 55. Netík (Tičar, Jeglič), 60. Murley (Vondrka, Bartovič) - 14. Kulyash (Kolarik), 16. Kalinin (Parshin), 19. Parshin (Sobotka), 51. Perezhogin (Gustafsson, Kolarik), 59. Perezhogin. Officials: Gusev, Bukin - Sivov, Šeľanin.

Penalties: 3:2, Powerplay goals: 0:1, Shorthanded: 0:0. Attendance: 7,504.

HC SLOVAN Bratislava: Janus – Sersen, Starosta, Štajnoch, Baranka, Brejčák, Sigalet – Surový, Nedorost, Ružička – Netík, Tičar, Jeglič – Bartovič, Murley, Vondrka – Šťastný, Bližňák, Ölvecký

Avangard Omsk: Barulin – Blaťák, Gustafsson, Kulyash, Lyamin, Vasilev, Pivtsakin, Lauta, Kulik – Kalinin, Sobotka, Parshin - Berdnikov, Vandell, Lemtyugov – Kolarik, Popov, Perezhogin – Rasskazov, Kuryanov, Semenov

The visitors created their first major chance after just one minute, as three bore down on Janus, but Kolarik hit the post. At the other end, Brejčák a Vondrka had efforts on goal, but Barulin dealt with their soft shots without difficulty. Avangard looked the more dangerous of the teams, controlling the direction the game was taking. Their fourth line carved out a great chance in the 10th minute, but Rasskazov and Semenov could not beat Janus. But Kulyash did exactly that in the 14th, firing in from the right circle - 0:1. Just two minutes later, it was 0:2 - in a powerplay, Parshin played in Kalinin from behind the net, and he squeezed the puck home. Slovan conceded another before the siren, a two-on-one overlap allowing Parshin to add the third - 0:3.

Omsk controlled the contest in the second period, barely allowing Slovan anything. The fourth goal could have come during another powerplay in the 23rd minute, but this time Janus kept them at bay. The Slovan goaltender came to the rescue again a few minutes later, denying Sobotka from a good position. The Czech centre was unlucky again in the 33rd, this time denied by the post. Slovan, on the other hand, had managed a mere four shots at Barulin after 15 minutes of the middle period. Nevertheless, Tičar managed to make his mark in the final minute, latching onto a rebound to backhand into the open net - 1:3.

Slovan came to life at the start of the final period, and Netík, Tičar and Brejčák all threatened Barulin in quick succession. This made the visiting coach call a time out, but it did little to help, as the home team continued to be the better side, above all with Tičar's third line. They put together a wonderful move in the 46th minute, culminating in Netík's shot, but Barulin kept it out. Alas, three minutes later, the visitors pulled off a set piece as Perezhogin got a touch on Gustafsson's shot and the puck ended up in the net - 1:4. Slovan refused to give up, and in the 55th minute Netík pulled one back after Tičar's perfect pass - 2:4. The hosts wanted to keep fighting for points, but a late own goal from Sersen, attempting to block Perezhogin's pass, put the game out of Slovan's reach - 2:5. Murley did manage to add a third with half a minute on the clock, but Slovan's fate was sealed - 3:5.

Petri Matikainen, Slovan head coach: "We started well, but then we conceded sloppy goals again and it was hard to get back in the game, especially against a team as strong as Omsk. If you let them play, you suddenly find yourselves 3:0 down. I know we have a young team, but at this stage of the season we should be able to play with more discipline, more calm, and more patience. But Avangard were the better side today, and I congratulate them on their victory."