Spengler cup: Day 2

pic from: spengler cup.ch

Day two of the Spengler Cup, saw KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) side CSKA Moscow play American Hockey League outfit the Rochester Americans in a Torriani group game.
While in the Cattini group match, hosts HC Davos took on Czech Republic side HC Vitkovice in the evening game.

  CSKA MOSCOW    4 - 3   ROCHESTER AMERICANS

CSKA MOSCOW went into this year`s Spengler Cup as the pre-tournament favorites and the Russian side managed to just edge out victory over their opponents, winning 4-3 over their U.S opponents.

CSKA took the lead in the game at 15:02, when the Americans trying to kill off a High Sticking call on Joel Armia, saw the Russians make full use of the extra man. As Igor Grigorenko put home a loose puck at the front of the net, after a Nokita Zairsev shot was blocked and the forward managed to put it in for a 1-0 lead.

Rochester then put themselves right back in the contest with six seconds left in the period, as a rush up ice saw Phil Varone initial effort saved by Rastislav Stana in the Moscow nets. The rebound off the plexi glass saw it deflect towards the front of the crease, after a bunch of players tried to grab it and Varone skated at the side of the net and managed to score for a 1-1 game. 

In the Second period, Luke Adam gave Rochester the early advantage in the period after he tipped in Daniel Catenacci pass towards the front of the net and saw the Americans go 2-1 up in the game.

At 23:32, CSKA tied the game through Alexander Radulov, as the Captain of the Moscow side received a pass from Grigorenko in his own zone and the forward fired it in at the near post to beat Matthew Hackett in the Americans goals, for a 2-2 score.

Moscow in the 3rd period shown their dominance scoring twice, with the first goal coming by the way of a powerplay goal. Nokita Zairsev blast was redirected in by Nikoli Prokhorkin stick, to make it 3-2 for the Russians at 48:46.

Moscow`s 4th of the game came from some good work by Radulov. when he went hard after the puck knocking it past two Rochester players, before then knocking it into the path of Grigorenko, who then skate on goal and slid the puck five hole through the legs of Hackett for 4-2 lead.

Then with the last action of the game, Rochester made it a one goal game as at 59:59 Luke Adam grabbed his second goal of the match, after a scramble in front of Stana in the CSKA nets, saw the Americans force it home for a 4-3 game right on the hooter.

HC DAVOS  5  -  1  HC VITKOVICE STEEL

Hosts of the Spengler Cup HC Davos of Switzerland, opened their campaign with a crushing 5-1 win over Czech Extraliga side Vitkovice Steel in the Evening game.

Davos starting the ball rolling at 2:51 in the game, when the hosts opened up scoring with Peter Guddisberg skating round the back of the net and finding Beat Forster wide open, who was on hand to slam home to the opener for a 1-0 lead.

Davos then made it 2-0 less than a minute later, when a soft Reto von Arx saucer pass went to Dario Burgler and his little pass to the far side, found Dino Wieser and he tucked home a nice move to double the advantage.

The Second period saw more goals for HC Davos as Rene Back made it 3-0, as a puck thrown across the Vitkovice zone hit Back, as he skated on goal and the puck looped up hitting the Davos man and went up and over Steel netminder Roman Malek and into the net for a weird goal, that saw Davos stretch their lead.

Then a few minutes later 3-0 became 4-0 for the hosts, when a wrist shot by Gregory Hofmann on the powerplay, made the game all but over. Vitkovice seemed to let the Davos man skate unopposed in the zone and he fired at will to beat Malek with five seconds left on the powerplay to increase their lead.

Third period wise, Davos scored another goal as Ville Koistinen fired in a powerplay goal for a 5-0 lead, before Roman Szturc delayed his shot and managed to grab a consolation goal for the Czech side to make the game 5-1 at 44:14. 

The game was already over by now and Davos managed to snuff any comeback hopes the Czech side may have hoped, with the Swiss side taking the win.