SPENGLER CUP :semis

SPENGLER CUP   SEMI- FINALS 

SEMI FINAL 1 :  TEAM CANADA  V  HC  FRIBOURG-GOTTERON

Well we were down to the FINAL 4 Sunday. As Two teams would reach the Prestigious Invitational tournament final and the other two sides would be going home falling at the final hurdle.

So as we start off with Semi Final 1, it was Team Canada  up against Switzerland side HC Fribourg-Gotteron. The Canadians were Hot Favourites to reach the Final on Monday as they had the most Powerful and Offensive side in the whole tournament, And apart from a blip in their opening game against the German side Adler Mannheim. The rest of the tournment had been smooth sailing for them.

For their opponents, it was much like Team Canada barring the one defeat also. As they had been a good solid team to watch & very dangerous when allowed too attack too. So the Semi final got underway and it started out an even period with the 1st goal of the game coming on the Powerplay for Team Canada.

As Canada was camped in the Fribourg zone,trying to set something set up. 57 seconds into the powerplay Some excellent play to keep the puck in their opposition zone for the whole allotted time,and some patient build up led to Sam Gagner & John Tavares working the boards between them during the powerplay looking for the perfect pass.

Tavares got a pass from Gagner and he laid it off to Carlo Colaiacovo and his slapshot was saved by Cory Schneider but couldn`t stop Jason Spezza at the backdoor getting the rebound to put the Canadian side up 1-0 at 16:32.


2nd period, The Canadians were hungry for more goals and nearly scored straight away. After Byron Ritchie and Travis Roche battled along the boards with the Fribourg players ,They managed to set a chance for Josh Holden who put his effort just wide of the post. But Marc-Antoine Pouiliot pressured Romain Loeffel the Fribourg D-man into a mistake and pinching it straight off him. And after a little 1-2 passing to Ritchie who in turn gave it back to Pouliot. He skated in on goal and put it past Schneider on the short side , for a 2-0 lead to send the Travelling fans into raptures at 22:47.

There was a nasty incident nearly midway through the period, Where Loeffel and Pouiliot were battling for the puck towards the corner. And Byron Ritchie skated over to the action and seemed to jump with both feet off the ice as his shoulder drove right into Loeffel head & the Fribourg Defensemen went down straight away, and Ritchie received a 2+10 Check to the head and Misconduct penalty for troubles.


Canada made it a 3-0 game as that man Loeffel seemed to be involved in everything, Unfortunately for him none of it was good. Fribourg were on the Powerplay and as he picked the puck up mid ice ,He did a turn and tried to pass it up ice but his pass was softly hit right to Matt Duchene, Who caught it dropped it down skated over the blue line and Wristed it past Schnieder for a Shorthanded goal and put the Canadians all but in the final already at 36:05.

The Swiss side did get a goal back as Fribourg scored at 36:29, from a faceoff down in the Canadian end. The draw was won by the Swiss and a little pass across was just thrown on net and it went in. Surprising even Devan Dubnyk who in between the pipes for Team Canada and he sheepishly chuckled over it, with  Kwiatkowski scoring and assisted on it was Desharnais and Hornqvist.


3rd period wise, Canada killed all hopes of a any revival as Colaiacovo scored for the Canadians as Duchene won the face off in the Fribourg zone, puck came back to Carlo Colaiacovo on the point . And his low driven shot went in beating Cory Schneider at the near post for 4-1 scoreline at 46:25. Matt Duchene then put the finshing touches to the win ,As a pass from mid ice to Jason Williams was took in well. Spotted the move of Matt Duchene skating behind and fed him the pass in acres of room and scored Short side on Schneider for a 5-1 win and book their place into the FINAL tomorrow.

 TEAM CANADA     5 - 1     HC FRIBOURG-GOTTERON

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SEMI FINAL 2:  HC DAVOS      V    HC  VITKOVICE STEEL 

The Second semi final was the most interesting one as Host HC Davos took on HC Vitkovice Steel to see who would play the Canadians in the Final tomorrow Afternoon.


Davos was the team out of the blocks quicker though being the Hosts, You`d expect it and it took 11:48 into the game for the opening goal of the contest. As Chicago Blackhawks and Current HC Davos forward Patrick Kane scored as he skated in and slipped it under the Vitkovice Netminder for a 1-0 lead.

2nd period it was like a shootout, as the lead changed hands twice. First off it was the Czechs who scored with Lukas Klimek scoring through Berra 5-hole ,after an assist by Jiri Burger at 27:31.  It was soon 2-1 for the Czech side as Karol Sloboda set up Tomas Kudelka as he drifted in towards the front of the net and slipped it through his legs again for the lead at 31:09.

Davos came back straight away 36 seconds later, As Gregory Hofmann was on hand to stick the rebound home after a Petr Sykora shot, with the assist going to Reto von ARX at 31:45.

They the Swiss, re-took the lead at 36:02 when Marha sent Dario Burgler away and while through on goal, he got tripped up by Michal Barinka stick, but he still got a shot away and put it high in the top of the net for a flying goal for a 3-2 HC Davos lead.


3rd period, The Czechs tied the game again in this topsy turvy game at 42:42. As Hruska passed right out infront of the net, to which Walker tried to nudge ahead & score , but his effort was saved & Szturc came in from the side, hitting it in mid air and it bouncing off the Davos player leg and going in for 3-3.

Joe Thornton then made it 4-3 for HC Davos, As he went one on one with Filip Sindelar coolly slotting home to give the home side the advantage at 46:28.

But back came Vitkovice once again and Vladimir Svacina made the game all square at 4-4. As Ondrej Roman was looking like he was going to skate round for a wrapround, But saw Svacina skating in near post so he quickly fed it near post and surprised Berra who expected him to come round the other side, that goal came in at 54:37.

BUT there was more drama to come, As Patrick Kane then broke Vitkovice hearts as he scored with 18 seconds left in Regulation, He had the puck and with time ticking saw a chance and shot it. Luckily for him it went top corner over the shoulder of Sindelar in nets  and Helped HC Davos win 5-4. With the goals timed at 59:38 and with the victory. Gave the Switzerland side the chance to retain the Spengler Cup again, if they could beat Canada in the Final tomorrow.

      HC   DAVOS        5   -  4    HC VITKOVICE STEEL 

All picures takens from :http//Spenglercup.ch