SLOVAN BEATS UFA!

HC SLOVAN Bratislava - Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2:1 (SO) - (1:1, 0:0, 0:0 - 0:0, 1:0)

Goals: 4. Sigalet, deciding penalty shot: Netík - 7. Dubrovsky (Kulda, D. Makarov). Penalties: 4:3 (2 min.); Powerplay goals: 0:1; Shorthanded: 0:0. Officials: Zakharov, Deyev - A. Medvedev, Pavlov (all RUS). Attendance: 10,055.

Lineups:

HC SLOVAN: Kopřiva - Škoula, Kutlák, Sersen, Mojžíš, Štajnoch, Sigalet - Miklík, Ölvecký, Vondrka - Netík, J. Mikúš, Bartovič - M. Daňo, Matoušek, L. Hudáček - R. Mráz, T. Mikúš, A. Šťastný

Salavat Yulaev Ufa: Volkov - Babchuk, I. Vishnevsky, Kulda, Sopel, Zubarev, K. Koltsov, Aleksei Vasilevsky - Khlystov, Mereskin, Slepyshev - Hartikainen, D. Makarov, Dubrovsky - Mirnov, Kaigorodov, Pihlström - A. Stepanov, A. Glukhov, Musatov

Friday evening saw Slovan play their second game of this home spell. In the 4^th minute, the puck came out to Sigalet on the blue line, and his long shot found its way between the defenders – 1:0. The goal marked the Canadian’s first of the season. But the lead lasted less than three minutes, as Daňo’s ill discipline in center ice gave the visitors a powerplay, which they converted Dubrovsky fired home the rebound from Kulda’s long shot. Half-way through the period, Musatov missed a gimme from between the circles. Ufa were the more dangerous going forward, and threatened through fast combination play, while they strangled Slovan’s efforts in the bud. In the 26th minute, the very tip of Kopřiva’s pad kept out the lively Pihlström. The home side brought themselves back into the game, but it was mostly a struggle for domination in center ice.

Juraj Mikúš was presented with a great chance early in the third period, but could only find goaltender Volkov. Kopřiva, meanwhile, twice had to make saves off Mirnov. The tempo continued to build, with plenty of action around both goalmouths. About half way through the final period, the hosts began to push the visitors back into their defensive zone, but couldn’t produce the crucial go-ahead goal. Both goalies stood rock solid and kept alive their teams’ hopes of at least a point. Right at the end, Štajnoch was penalised for picking up the puck by the boards, but Slovan held out for the dying seconds, knowing they would then play shorthanded four-on-three in overtime.

The hosts survived and even had a powerplay of their own. Vondrka was unable to convert his chance under pressure as he bore down on goal. In the end, Slovan’s first shoot out of the season decided the outcome. Tomáš Netík was the only scorer, providing Slovan with the two points.