It was semi-finals day at the Spengler Cup. Dinamo Minsk and Team Canada went at it in the early game, with HC Lugano and HC Davos facing off in an all-Swiss affair.
Dinamo Minsk 2 - Team Canada 3
The game started out quickly, with both teams not willing to sit back. Team Canada caught the firs break of the game two minutes in, when Kristian Khenkel was called for interference. Dinamo Minsk managed to hold on though, killing Khenkel's penalty. Canada kept up the attack on even strength, and would be rewarded for their efforts. Seven minutes into the period, Marc-Antoine Pouliot buried one from in close to open the scoring. Just minutes later, a Francis Pare centering pass managed to find itself going past Scrivens, but not past the post. Roman Graborenko found himself in the penalty box minutes later, when a hit on Daniel Vukovic resulted in a two (head contract) and a ten (misconduct, automatic with head contact penalty). It was questionable if Graborenko even touched Vukovic's head on the hit. Team Canada's powerplay wasn't over when it became a two man advantage. Dmitry Korobov was called for boarding Jacob Micflikier. Ben Scrivens was also penalized on the play after having some choice words for the ref (Sergei Drozd served those two minutes). The five-on-three was beneficial to the Canadians, as they found the back of the net after a few opportunities. Chris DiDomenico's passing attempt bounced off a Minsk defender and into the net, making it 2-0. Minsk killed off the man advantage after the goal, but it didn't take long for them to once again play shorthanded, as Evgeny Lisovets was called for holding. Minsk did kill off that penalty, and even got a chance as Rob Klinkhammer was unable to beat Zach Fucale. It was Canada's turn to be undisciplined, as the last minute of the first saw Mark Flood and Cory Emmerton were sent to the box just seconds apart. The opening frame ended with Team Canada up 2-0.
Starting with a two man advantage, Dinamo Minsk got chance after chance. Fucale stood his ground though, tracking the puck well and not letting it go behind him. While the two man advantage was unsuccessful, Minsk did managed to score while up a man. Andrei Stepanov took a few strides into the Canadian zone and wrist one, beating Fucale high blocker. Minsk controlled play for the most part, trying to tie the game. That ended when Alexander Materukhin was called for interference. Canada almost extended their lead on the powerplay, managing to get Scrivens out of position and the puck out to the slot. Mark Flood could not convert on his attempt though, getting blocked by a fallen Alexander Kulakov. Shots were exchanged for a while, with both teams looking for the game's fourth goal. Minsk caught a break halfway though the period when James Sheppard went off for slashing. Dinamo Minsk tried, but were unsuccessful on the man advantage. Minsk kept up the pressure, but to no avail. Team Canada spent the remaining minute-plus on the powerplay, as Scrivens was called for a delay of game after batting the puck out of play. The second period expired without another goal, as Team Canada remained in the lead 2-1.
Dinamo Minsk went on the attack in the third, trying to tie the game. They would get a powerplay four minutes in, when Pouliot went off for hooking. Klinkhammer's play near the crease helped Minsk get multiple chances, but none of them found their way into the net. Team Canada went back on the attack after killing Pouliot's penalty. They resulted in the Canadians getting a powerplay of their own, as Graborenko was reacquainted with the penalty box (this time for hooking). Team Canada didn't get much on the man advantage. Minsk got a good chance when it went back to five-on-five, as Aaron Pulushaj's one-timer was stopped by Fucale. It would be 12 minutes into the period when a goal was finally scored. A two-on-one saw Pouliot keep and take a shot. Scrviens made the save, but Pouliot got the puck back and no-looked a pass to a streaking Chay Genoway. Genoway wasted no time getting the shot off, as the puck found its way past two Minsk defenders and Scrivens and into the net. Just a minute later, Canada would find themselves shorthanded, as Francis Pare was called for tripping. It got worst for the Canadians, as Shaun Heshka was given a two and a ten for catching Lisovets head with a hit. The two man advantage helped Minsk get back in it. Matt Ellison's one-timer from the high slot beat Fucale and found the back of the net. The Belarusian team could not do much with the remaining minute-plus of powerplay time. Dinamo Minsk pulled Scrivens for an extra attack with just under two minutes left in the game. They came close to tying the game, as Klinkhammer hit the post. Team Canada hung on, beating Dinamo Minsk 3-2 and earning a spot in the Final.
Players of the game: Rob Klinkhammer (DIN), Marc-Antoine Pouliot (CAN)
It's weird to give it to a guy who was held off the scoresheet, but Klinkhammer was a special teams dynamo. He had multiple chances on both the powerplay and penalty kill, and almost tied the game in the final seconds. Pouliot was in on all three Canadian goals, and was buzzing around in the first period, He finished with a goal and two assists.
HC Lugano 4 - HC Davos 0
HC Davos started on the attack in the early going, trying to get a quick goal. HC Lugano's defense had other plans, keeping their Swiss counterparts at bay. HC Davos got the first powerplay of the game four minutes in, as Philippe Furrer went off for tripping Enzo Corvi. Davos' powerplay could not muster much on the man advantage. Midway through the period, Ken Jaeger had a chance to go one-on-one with a Lugano defender, but wound up tripping himself up at the blueline. That shift ended a bit heated, as Marc Wieser and James Wisniewski started jawing at each other. HC Davos went on the powerplay moments later, when Ryan Gardner was called for hooking. Once again, the Davos powerplay did little with the man advantage. HC Lugano had their chance on the powerplay a minute later, thanks to Tino Kessler getting sent off for hooking. While Lugano's powerplay failed to convert on the opportunity, it wasn't long after when they struck. Wisniewski's point shot would go wide, but the puck kicked out to Linus Klasen at the side of the net. Klasen had a couple of whacks at it, eventually putting the puck past Melvin Nyffeler's pad. HC Lugano finished the period on the powerplay when Gregory Sciaroni was called for holding. HC Davos easily killed off Sciaroni's penalty. Both teams headed into the intermission, with HC Lugano leading 1-0.
Both teams had a chance on the powerplay early on, starting with HC Lugano, as Noah Schneeberger was sent off for high sticking. Ryan Vesce almost extended Lugano's lead, connecting on a backdoor pass. It wasn't to be though, as Nyffeler slid over to make the save. HC Lugano's powerplay ended prematurely, as Gardner went to the box for tripping. HC Davos got a few shots on their shortened powerplay, but none found their way past Elvis Merzlikins. Klasen had a chance on even strength, dancing through a couple of Davos defenders. One defender did get a skate on Klasen's tripping him up and ending the chance. Despite Klasen's plea, no penalty was called. HC Davos would lose a player moments later, as a bump-back check by Lugano's Alessio Bertaggia caused Sciaroni to fall and hit the ice hard. Sciaroni needed help to get off the ice and into the room, and would not return to the game. The pace starting to quicken, and was highlighted by a Lugano two-on-one. Max Lapierre would receive a pass on the odd-man rush, but could not beat Nyffeler. Moments later, Marc Wieser found himself in the box for slashing, and that ended up being costly for the host. Vesce found Dario Burgler alone in the slot, and the Swiss forward didn't waste the opportunity, snapping a shot past Nyffeler. HC Davos challenged the goal for offside, but lost, and the goal stood. HC Lugano added to their lead four minutes later, as Alessandro Chiesa slid behind the Davos defense and redirected Julian Walker's pass into the Davos net. Tensions would boil over when Daniel Rahimi pushed a Lugano defender into Merzlikins. A scrum ensued, and cooler heads prevailed after a bit. Rahimi wasn't done though, as he started jawing at Lapierre on the bench. Both were sent to the penalty box and assessed ten minute misconducts. HC Davos had a powerplay to end the period, as Wisniewski was called for slashing, then given another two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct. Robert Kousal had Davos' best chance on the extended powerplay, ringing a shot off the post. The period ended, as HC Lugano headed into the break up 3-0.
Penalties were called early in the third. Just under two minutes in, HC Davos' Samuel Walser went off for hooking. Seconds after that, Wisniewski once again was sent to the box (this time for holding). Marc Weiser had a chance to score between the two penalty calls, deking out Merzlikins but unable to finish off the backhand attempt. Gregory Hofmann got a chance on the four-on-four, but Nyffeler stopped the shot. Play went back to five-on-five for a couple of seconds, as Luca Fazzini got called for slashing while trying to negate a HC Davos scoring chance. HC Lugano ended up benefitting from being shorthanded. Bertaggia snapped one over Nyffeler's blocker, as the HC Lugano penalty killer made it 4-0. Things got worst for HC Davos, as Marc Wieser ended up taking a lazy tripping penalty. The host did managed to kill off that penalty. HC Davos pushed trying to find their way onto the scoreboard. Merzlikins was having none of it, stopping anything that was shot at him. HC Lugano also got their chance on offense, highlighted by Lapierre getting stopped in close by Nyffeler. Both teams had penalties in the last few minutes. Time expired, and HC Lugano shut out HC Davos 4-0. The win puts HC Lugano back into the Spengler Cup Final for the second straight year.
Players of the game: Elvis Merzlikins (HCL), (HCD)
Merzlikins is the only goalie in this year's tournament to earn a shutout. He stopped all 35 HC Davos shots. Since I can't give it to the Davos band, I'll give it to Enzo Corvi. He drew a couple of penalties and got two shots on net.
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