ST. PETERSBURG, Russia - The fourth European Champions Cup in St. Petersburg ended with the fourth triumph of a Russian team. Metallurg Magnitogorsk beat Sparta Prague 5-2 and will play the Victoria Cup against an NHL team.
As the night before against Slovan Bratislava, Metallurg Magnitogorsk started with much offensive action into the final game against Sparta Prague with the aim of continuing the Russian ECC-winning streak. Contrary to yesterday’s clash, the Russian fans did not have to wait until the last period to see Metallurg scoring. While the team were playing their power play formation, Metallurg’s Czech Jan Marek found the hole in Sparta’s box play and Tomas Duba’s cage. The Czechs did not have many scoring chances but Martin Podlesak used one of these few at 19:21 to equalise the game.
Metallurg regained the lead at 26:19 and it was again Marek, who was the goal scorer after the goal had to be reviewed for a while as it was an unclear situation in front of Duba’s crease. Marek, of all people, who moved from Sparta Prague to Magnitogorsk in 2006. Four minutes later, while playing five-against-three, Sparta’s defenceman Jiri Vykoukal scored the 2-2 equaliser. But this time, the Russians could finish the period with a lead. With a surprising flat shot on Duba’s glove side, Igor Mirnov brought the puck a third time behind the Czech goalkeeper.
Sparta tried hard to equalise but the Czechs could not beat Metallurg’s goalkeeper Travis Scott a third time. Mirnov scored his second goal while 84 seconds left to make it 4-2 in favour of Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Alexei Kaigorodov used another breakaway in the last minute for the final result of 5-2. It was the first ECC win for the club from Siberia that had won the Silver Stone Trophy twice before (1999 and 2000) during the time of the European Hockey League.
"It was great to win this tournament, now we want to win the next trophy," said Metallurg head coach Valeri Postnikov after the game. Also his American goalkeeper Travis Scott was in a very good mood. "It's nice to win this special competition with these guys, I have been for more than two seasons. We had a good tournament, have a good defence and had each time chances for six goals per game," the American said. His start was doubted after the coaching staff pulled him on Saturday prior to the shootout, but Scott started again and supported the decision: "I'm probably not the greatest shootout goalie, Mezin is better in this, so it was a good decision."
Metallurg did not only win the trophy the third time in its club history, the Russians will also face an NHL challenger in the inaugural Victoria Cup, which is to be played on October 1, 2008, at a venue in Europe to be determined.
Click here for the game's photo gallery.MARTIN MERK
