Minsk 3, Gothenburg 2 (OT) – Minsk leads series 1-0
Thomas Powell scored in overtime to give the Minsk Hussars a 1-game lead in what observers expect to be the tightest series of the EURO playoffs. Looking at the shots on goal total, Minsk deserved the win, as they outshot the Devils 42-16. Each team scored once in the first period and once in the second, making for a very tense third period. No one could score in the third and the game went into sudden death. About 5 and a half minutes into OT, Patrik Berglund won a face-off in the Devils’ zone and flipped it to linemate Gustav Nyquist standing just outside the circle to Berglund’s left. Nyqvist made a move to deke Zach Parise and then fed a pass into the goal mouth for Powell who was digging toward the near post. He took the pass, drew it back to his forehand and jammed it between Pekka Rinne’s pads to end the game. Minsk’s Jakub Voracek and Nicklas Backstrom applied pressure on Rinne all night, getting a total of 12 shots on goal between them, with Backstrom scoring the game’s first goal. Jordan Eberle had a goal and 3 blocked shots for Gothenburg. The teams will play again in Minsk Friday before the series moves to Gothenburg.
Germany had three teams playing in the EURO last week but there will be just one team remaining in two weeks or less.
Edinburgh 3, Copenhagen 0 – Edinburgh leads series 1-0
John Tavares had just one shot on goal in 25 minutes of the Capitals’ first playoff game. Edinburgh’s biggest gun was empty for the big game. No problem. Brayden Coburn stepped up and fired in two goals and goalie Kari Lehtonen was impenetrable, stopping 34 Copenhagen shots and getting a shutout. Coburn, who also registered 4 hits Wednesday, had 8 goals and 20 assists during the regular season. Lehtonen, the former Geneva General goalie, recorded 4 shutouts this season and had 5 in 33 playoff games coming into the series. The Tridents got a good game from first-line right wing Tomas Fleischmann, who led the team in shots with 5, although his center, Brooks Laich, took 7 minutes in penalties. Laich is trying to fill in for Stephen Weiss, the 94-point center who suffered a leg injury 10 days ago.
Belfast 3, Helsinki 1 – Belfast leads series 1-0
Maybe the Giants had the jitters in their first-ever playoff game, or perhaps Helsinki was playing possum during the regular season, but halfway through Game 1 of the series, the Jokerit were enjoying a 1-0 lead and seemed to have control of the game. Nazem Kadri changed everything with a poke check while he was forechecking and when he knocked the puck off Helsinki defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo’s stick and quickly swept the puck past a surprised Henrik Lundqvist, it was a brand new game. Five minutes later, three players who weren’t in the Belfast Giants starting lineup a year ago, combined to give Belfast a lead they never gave up. Puck hound Ondrej Palat and Joe Pavelski set up Nathan MacKinnon for a beauty of a goal late in the second period. Despite the turnover, Colaiacovo was one of the best Helsinki players Wednesday. He scored their goal, blocked 3 shots and had 2 hits. Teammate Daniel Fernholm blocked 5 shots and had 2 hits. Sidney Crosby of Belfast didn’t play due to the flu, but he should be ready on Friday to skate in his first-ever playoff game.
Moscow 7, Stockholm 2 – Moscow leads series 1-0
With President Vladimir Putin in attendance, Moscow Spartak showed no mercy in stampeding the Eagles 7-2. Russian officials denied a game was played, but a box score obtained by U.N. investigators revealed that 8 Spartak players ended with at least 2 points in the game. Defenseman Duncan Keith and center Anze Kopitar – two of the stars Moscow needs to perform well – both scored twice in the second period. By the time the third period got underway, the scoreboard read Moscow 7, Stockholm 1. But onlookers said the scoreboard read Moscow 4, Stockholm 1 when the second period ended. A murmur went over the crowd when the score was changed to 7 on the Moscow side, but the arena grew quite as soon as the Jumbotron focused on Putin’s stern face. Jason Garrison, Max Pacioretty and Brandon Sutter were credited with first-period goals for Moscow, although Sutter had not been credited with a shot on goal yet. Mike Richards and Marcus Johansson scored for Stockholm. Both players said that when they returned to their dressing room after the game, they found dead rats with their throats cut next to their gear.
