Canada 0 - Russia (Khimik) 5

Spengler Cup
Friday, December 29, 2006
15:00 Local | 09:15 ET
Davos, SUI

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The HK Khimik got its first victory in its 3rd Spengler Cup match. With this victory the Russian prevented a premature final participation of the North Americans. Khimik was criticized very hard after its two first tournament plays. The team from the Moscow suburb Mytishi had a bad defence and in 120 minutes it had scored only once.

What is possible, the Russian let the Canadians know today! Sometimes the game reminded of last year’s final, when Team Canada was humiliated by the Russian representative Metallurg Magnitogorsk with 3:8.

For the first time at this tournament, Khimik stayed cool and disciplined in front of the own goal and cleared all the rebounds. In addition, Konstantin Barulin did 41 saves and the team could rely on him. The 22-year old goaltender proved with his shut out, why he is considered as one of the most talented goaltenders of the Russian ice hockey. The defence was one key to win the game, the offensive the other one.

The HK Khimik needed only 14 shots on goal in the first two periods to pull the score on 5:0. That shows that the team is able to be merciless and that it can use the chances to score. Furthermore the 1:0 was an own-goal by the Canadian defender Shawn Heins. Canadian goaltender Devan Dubnyk had no chance to save the next two goals but nevertheless he was replaced after 20 minutes by Adam Munro.

Due to the victory of the Russians the Spengler Cup remains as exciting as rarely before. After seven of ten round robin games, still no team is qualified for the final on Sunday. All of the five teams have the possibility to be one of the two final participants.

Mike Maneluk was named player of the game for Team Canada.

The Canadians are now 2-1 in the tournament. Canada will face Berlin in their fourth and final game of the round robin tournament. A Team Canada win will put them in the final on New Years Eve.

Khimik: Barulin; Bykov, Balandin; Homitskiy, Semenov; Titov, Puyats; Kosmachev, Metlyuk; Mikhail Sevostyanov, Sergey Sevostyanov, Boykov; Leschev, Sirokov, Mozyakin; Bulyanskiy, Schastliviy, Pavel Vorobiev; Pronin, Ilya Vorobiev, Krikunov.

Team Canada: Dubnyk (21. Munro); Heins, Harrison; Doig, Syvret; Strudwick, Scalzo; Bright, Murovic; Law, Kolanos, Jamie Wright; Gardner, Pittis, Maneluk; Tyler Wright, Roest, Herperger; Reid, Brent, Holden.

Best Players: Alexey Sirokov / Mike Maneluk