No Mistakes in Shootout

HC SLOVAN Bratislava - Dinamo Minsk 3:2 (SO) - (0:0, 1:1, 1:1 - 0:0, 1:0) 

Goals: 28. V. Nedorost (Vondrka, L. Nagy), 42. A. Šťastný (Netík), deciding penalty shot: L. Nagy - 31. Szczechura (Kalyuzhny, Cheechoo), 51. Gavrus (Bailen, Milchakov) 

Shootout: L. Nagy - 1:0, Ellison - miss, Netík - 2:0, Szczechura - miss.
Penalties: 3:3 (2 min.), Powerplay Goals: 1:1, Shorthanded: 0:0. Officials: Stricker (SUI), Anisimov - Parfionov, Sysuyev (all RUS). Attendance: 8,025.

Lineups: 
Slovan: Janus - Sersen, Sigalet, Foster, Baranka, Štajnoch, Starosta, J. Brejčák - L. Nagy, V. Nedorost, Vondrka - Murley, Surový, Bartovič - Jeglič, Tičar, L. Hudáček - Netík, A. Šťastný, Lunter 
Minsk: Milchakov - Krajíček, Goroshko, Bailen, Nogachyov, Shinkevich, Lisovec - Cheechoo, Szczechura, Kalyuzhny - Vesce, Ellison, Linglet - Kulakov, Kitarov, Meleshko - Zakharov, Razvadovsky, Gavrus - Pavlovich

Slovan made a positive start to their home game - in the first period they displayed their most captivating hockey so far this season. The hosts created a number of goalscoring chances,  but had yet to find the way past Milchak in the Minsk net. In the 4th minute, Surový could only hit the goalie, as did Nagy soon after, while Cheechoo and Ellison had unsuccessful sorties at the other end. Later Slovan efforts from Foster a Netík failed to come off, and the same fate befell Meleshko a Ellison for Minsk. 

Nagy saw two chances go begging early in the second period, but the Sky Blues finally broke Michakov's spell in a powerplay - in the 28th minute, Vondrka picked out Nedorost between the circles, and he made no mistake - 1:0. Alas, the Slovan celebration lasted less than three minutes. The visitors set up shop in the attacking zone and outmanoeuvred the Slovan defence, leaving Szczechura to sweep into the open net - 1:1. Slovan did beat Milchakov in the last minute, but after consultation with the video referee in Moscow, the officials disallowed the goal due to a high stick. 

At the start of the final period, the visitors paid for Milchakov's momentary lapse in concentration - A. Šťastný carefully followed the puck to the back board, then swept into the half-open net behind the disoriented goaltender. Dinamo fought for the equalizer, which eventually came in a 51st minute powerplay. Surový's holding penalty was punished in 24 seconds, as Gavrus shot between Janus's pads - 2:2. Even netminder Milchakov was credited with the assist, only the second such contribution this season, after Vasily Koshechkin of Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Star player Cheechoo could have sealed it for Minsk five minutes from the end, but Janus was alert enough to keep him out. 

Nagy missed a grand chance in overtime, but made up for it by scoring the winner in the shootout that followed.

Petri Matikainen: "It was a tough battle. We played better than in our last home game against Medveščak. Above all in the first period, we created a lot of chances - and we scored first. But then we started to lose the puck a lot. Our goalie Janus kept us in it; he performed really well. But we must put more pressure on the opposition, especially at home, and score more goals. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, particularly on the mental aspect. Our performances need to be more stable, which requires patience."