Slovan Scoreless At Home

HC SLOVAN Bratislava - Neftechimik Nižnekamsk 0:3 (0:0, 0:1, 0:2) 

Goals: 24. Zdunov (J. Grigorenko, Taffe), 48. M. Zhukov (Stas, Milovzorov), 59. M. Berezin (Taffe. J. Grigorenko) 
Penalties: 4:5 (2 min.). Powerplay Goals: 0:2, Shorthanded: 0:0. Officials: Kulakov, Tsyplakov - Metalnikov, Sirotkin (all RUS). Attendance: 7,080.

Lineups: 
HC SLOVAN: Brust - Starosta, Švarný, F. Novák, Barker, Sersen, V. Mihálik, Luža - Jeglič, Tičar, A. Šťastný - Kašpar, V. Nedorost, L. Nagy - Miklík, Surový, Bartovič - Lušňák, Viedenský, Skalický 
Nizhnekamsk: Sudnitsin - Ogurtsov, M. Berezin, Riasensky, Sergeyev, Bryntsev, Lyamin (41. Yevseyenkov) - Lapenkov, Stas, Rybin - Milovzorov, Polygalov, M. Zhukov - J. Grigorenko, Taffe, Zdunov - Kitarov, Kulikov, Khairullin 

The opening period offered up an even contest of relatively average standard which, despite a number of promising chances for both teams, was goalless to the end. Sudnitsin, the Neftekhimik  netminder, dealt with Kašpar in the 5th minute, and similarly denied Nagy a few minutes later. At the other end, the unmarked Sergeyev could have put his side ahead, but Brust managed to get in the way to cover his shot. Stas then let fly a fine effort on the turn, but this time Brust saved with the pads. Nedorost's faint touch on a pass from Kašpar could have separated the sides, but Sudnitsin was on guard to keep the puck out. Slovan did concede a penalty late in the period, but shots from Lamin and Grigorenko failed to find the net.

Jeglič nearly scored early in the second period, coming right up on goal, but it was the visitors who finally broke the deadlock. In the 24th minute, Nagy went on a solo run in the attacking zone and lost the puck, allowing Nizhnekamsk to break. Grigorenko picked out the untroubled Zdunov, who proceeded to fire into the top corner - 0:1. There followed two powerplays for Říha's men, but they created little until Švarný managed a dangerous shot on goal. Slovan continued their siege on the visitors' net in vain, neither Bartovič nor Lušňák managing a breakthrough. The hosts then upped the pressure late in the period, Novák shooting well from a good position, but Sudnitsin remained alert, subsequently handling a double chance from Viedenský and Skalický.

 In the 45th minute, Nagy's skills opened up space for Novák, who had three follow up attempts after his initial effort, but the Neftekhimik goaltender was on form. The visitors stayed back and relied on passing errors from Slovan, which enabled them to break quickly. In the 46th, Taffe's cross went behind Brust in the goalmouth, but no-one was on hand to knock in the puck. Two minutes later, however, it came off for the visitors, as they ran rings around the Slovan defence in a powerplay, Stas passed back to Zhukov, and he did the rest - 0:2. Slovan got the better of Sudnitsin for the first time in the 54th, when Šťastný helped Švarný's speculative effort into the net, but the officials disallowed the goal due to Šťastný's unfortunate use of the hand to get the puck over the line. Berezin had the last word in the duel, converting a powerplay to provide the final score of 0:3.