Both Copenhagen and Athens were facing 2-0 series deficits going into Game 3, and both teams defeated their foes.
Copenhagen did it the hard way – in Moscow – getting goals from four different players including former Spartak star Alex Ovechkin. Moscow actually outshot the Tridents 36-33 in the game. Roberto Luongo was voted as the game’s first star after his 34-save performance for Copenhagen. Two members of the Tridents’ third line were named as the game’s other stars. Colin Greening and Boyd Gordon each had two points as they and linemate Drew Shore accounted for two goals. Brooks Laich of Copenhagen and Anze Kopitar of Moscow led everyone in shots on goal with 8 and 7 respectively, but both were minus one. Trident GM Dylan Callow pointed out that the penalty killing has been great (or the powerplays have been poor) in the series thus far. When the teams clash for Game 4 tonight, both teams will be seeking their first powerplay goals of the series. Copenhagen is 0-14 and Moscow 0-9.
In Athens for Game 3, Paris lost the game and another player. The Kronwall brothers played prominent roles in the Greek’ 5-4 win. Niklas had two assists and 6 hits while little brother Staffan had an assist and a first-period fight with Paris’ Travis Hamonic. The brothers both assisted on Dimitrios Kalyvas’ third period goal that stood up as the game-winner. Les Rouges Eiffels made a valiant comeback attempt, scoring three times in the final period, but Cam Ward did enough in goal for Athens to earn their first win of the series. In Game 4, Paris will be without two starters. Second pairing defenseman Ken Kuusk is out with an upper body injury he sustained in Game 2, and top line left wing Joffrey Lupul will miss Game 4, also with an upper body injury. Lupul had teamed with Evgeny Malkin and Corey Perry and he accumulated 8 goals and 14 points in 12 playoff games this post season. Twenty-six-year-old Tom Pyatt, who has appeared in 8 regular season games and zero playoff games for Paris over the last two seasons, seems the likeliest candidate to be called up. David Perron, currently on the second line, and fourth-line wings Josef Vasicek and Lee Stempniak are candidates to play with Malkin and Perry unless more line juggling is done by coach Michel Therrien.
