Mike Cammalleri scored twice to lead Edinburgh to a 3-2 win over Minsk Saturday giving the Capitals a huge 2 points in the standings. With just 4 tough games to play, Edinburgh has opened a 3-point gap over Dublin and a 5-point lead over Gothenburg. Edinburgh and Gothenburg will play each other on Tuesday. In the Southern Conference race, the Zurich at Prague game was a no-win game for 9th-place Geneva because they are chasing both teams for the final playoff spot. The game almost went into overtime, which would have been the worst possible outcome for Geneva because both teams would have gained points in the standings. Prague poured it on from the start, with 26 first-period shots. They wilted during the game and held on just enough to secure the 3-2 win. Late in the game, Zurich’s Jussi Jokinen nearly tied it when he deflected a Janne Niskala point shot off the crossbar.
Elsewhere, Jeff Skinner scored to give London an overtime win over Milan and Moscow piled on 6 goals to add to Stockholm’s recent woes. The Eagles, who at one point in the second half of the season appeared to be in a comfortable playoff position, have dropped out of contention. They have now lost 8 straight games and 21 of their last 26.
Individual records in danger
Lisbon’s Steven Stamkos has 4 games left to set a new league goal scoring record. He has 56, which ties the season record that Bobby Ryan set with Dublin in Season 2. Three games ago, against Gothenburg, Stamkos scored three third-period goals to tie the record. He might have difficulty setting the mark because he could be facing some very good goalies, including the EURO’s very best – Berlin goalie Jimmy Howard – twice. And Howard has some real incentive to stop Stamkos because he has a good chance of finishing the season with the best-ever goals against average. Stamkos has also tied the league record of game-winning goals with 12 this season.
Stamkos’ linemate John Tavares also shares a league record. He has 78 assists, the same amount Ryan Getzlaf had in Season 2 when he set the record with Prague. Tavares could tie another league record if he manages to score a shootout goal before the end of the season. Edinburgh’s Jamie Benn set the league record of 7 in Season 1.
The Devils’ Mark Fraser has blown away the existing league records for penalty minutes and fights. He has been in 14 fights (the record was 9) and he has 229 PIMs (the record was 186). The league record nobody wants – worst plus-minus rating – will have a new owner this season. Milan’s Tyler Johnson and Kyle Okposo, along with Oslo’s Tyler Sequin should all be worse than the record of minus 67 that Getzlaf and Milan’s Thomas Vanek set last season.
Cam Ward of Athens is one shutout away from tying the league record of 9, set by Pekka Rinne in Season 2.
