Late Drama for Medvescak

HC SLOVAN Bratislava - Medvescak Zagreb 1:2 pp a sn (0:1, 0:0, 1:0 - 0:0, 0:1)

Goals: 54. Tičar (penalty shot) - 6. Pelletier (Katic), deciding penalty shot: Pelletier.

Officials: Beliayev, Kulakov - Alyoshin, Sazonov. Penalties: 5:6 (2 min.), plus Štajnoch (Slovan) 5 min. + game misconduct (boarding). Powerplay goals: 0:1, shorthanded: 0:0. Changes and substitutions: Slovan - Luž (21.), Medvescak - Hedberg (41.). Attendance: 8,728.

HC SLOVAN Bratislava: Backlund – Štajnoch, Sigalet, Sersen, Baranka, Brejčák, Mihálik - Nagy, Surový, Ružička – Netík, Nedorost, Vondrka – Jeglič, Tičar, Bartovič - Šťastný, Bližňák, Lunter
Medveščak Záhreb: Owuya - Mathieu, Morrisonn, Flood, Martinovič, Hutchinson, Kinrade, Katic - Palushaj, Anderson, Thomas - Segal, Wright, Bjorkstrand - Glumac, Murray, Perkovich - St. Pierre, Pelletier

Slovan started poorly against their most frequent opponents this season. Inside 6 minutes, with Netíka in the sin bin, St. Pierre found Pelletier open, and he beat Backlund at the second attempt - 0:1. The goalscorer then found himself penalised for a trip, but the hosts played a weak powerplay. In the first period, Slovan struggled even to break into the visitors' zone, as their combination play stuttered and chances were not forthcoming. Lunter did manage to shoot in the 19th minute, but in vain. Late in the period, Štajnoch hit Carle on the boards from behind, earning himself five minutes plus a game misconduct penalty.

The home team successfully negotiated the long shorthanded spell, even managing to pose a threat to Zagreb. In the 22nd minute, Netík broke away from the defence, tearing through to Owuya, but hit his backhand straight into the goalie's mitt. At the other end, Segal spurned a chance to double the lead, before the Sky Blues' latest acquisition - Štefan Ružička - announced himself in the 25th. The forward sold Owuya, but somehow couldn't get the puck beyond him. Soon after, the Medvescak keeper blundered on the back board, but Šťastný and Bližňák were unable to punish his error. In the 28th, Backlund's goalpost resounded from St. Pierre's touch, as the game took on a fast tempo. Half-way through the game, Nedorost failed to find the net from a rebound, then during a Slovan powerplay, Wright broke down the left wing for the visitors, but Backlund was on guard and repelled his strike. The home goalie was again on hand during a subsequent Medvescak powerplay, denying Palushaj a certain goal, and blocking a shot from Segal.
      
In the third period, Slovan still had difficulty breaching the Zagreb defences. In the 46th minute, a rare successful combination saw Vondrka play in Bližňák, but he found Owuya in his way. Thomas had a chance at the other, but Backlund was on hand to keep it out. Palushaj could have scored an important insurance goal in the 53rd, but he just missed the target, while Thomas was on target soon after, but Backlund made the save. As the clock ticked on, Slovan upped the ante and created pressure. Seven minutes from the end, Bartovič broke away on his own, and last man Flood resorted to hooking to keep him out, at the expense of a penalty shot. The home team waited with bated breath, as the shaken-up Bartovič gave way to Tičar for the penalty shot. The Slovene brought joy to the stands, as he found the top corner - 1:1. Matikainen's men then got stuck into the opposition, and won a late powerplay thanks to Pelletier's foul. But nothing came of that. 25 seconds from the end, the visitors deliberately shunted the goal off its moorings, handing Slovan another penalty shot, but this time Tičar was denied.
      
And so came overtime, and with it a Zagreb powerplay after Sigelet's interference, but the home team defended soundly.  Penalty shots followed, and Pelletier was the sole scorer.

Petri Matikainein: "I congratulate our opponents on their two points. The first period we were literally asleep, as if we weren't even on the ice. In the second period we woke up, put something into our play and started shooting more and pressing on their goal. I'm pleased with the way we played the second half of the game; it's a shame we only got one point in the end. We desperately need points if we are to have a chance in the struggle for the playoffs. Our powerplays didn't work at all today, not one formation came up with anything."