Dair settled the shoot-out in the second one spherical of unexpected demise. After his a success try, Benjamin Sokay had a possibility to stay GSK within the recreation however fired broad of Matija Pintaric’s web.
“It was really close until the end,” mentioned Bruleurs captain Sacha Treille. “We found a way to score a PP goal that got us back into the game and in the end it was penalty shots. It could go either way. But we managed to win it and that’s really good for tomorrow’s game.”
Now the equation is modest. When Bruleurs de Loups faces Cardiff on Sunday, any roughly win for both staff will protected the Continental Cup. For each golf equipment, it will be the first time lifting this trophy.
After shedding its opening recreation, GKS knew that it had to win in law – and by means of a excellent margin. The Poles’ handiest hope of staying in competition for the trophy lay in a conceivable three-way tie must they defeat Bruleurs de Loups sooner than a French victory over Cardiff in Sunday’s ultimate recreation. Even then, Katowice additionally needed to claw again a three-goal deficit from its opening evening loss.
That impressed GKS to a full of life get started, however Grenoble’s Slovenian global goalie Pintaric averted any early targets. Instead, it was once Bruleurs de Loups who took the lead within the 8th minute. Guillaume Leclerc noticed his preliminary effort padded away, however the Polish defence failed to trace Adel Koudri as he were given the paintwork and prodded the free puck previous Murray.
Late within the first the groups exchanged scoring adjustments. Patryk Wronka drew a double save from Pintaric at one finish, sooner than Damien Fleury examined Murray in a one-on-one. Moments later, Dair idea he had a 2d target for BDL after a turnover in GKS territory. Although two gamers ended up within the web, the video evaluate dominated that Murray were given sufficient in the back of the puck to stay it from crossing the road.
Buoyed by means of that reprieve, Katowice got here out in the second one duration and produced its best possible 20 mins of hockey in Cardiff. Pressing and harrying Grenoble at each alternative, the Poles had Brouleurs de Loups at complete stretch and were given their praise. Santeri Koponen, a Finnish defender who was once at the GKS staff in closing 12 months’s ultimate, tied the sport after 26 mins with some degree shot. Moments later, Wronka broke transparent of the defence and with Pierre Crinon out of place, your best option was once a nasty. Crinon stored a most likely target however plunged his staff into penalty hassle.
Two consequences in a row had Bruleurs trapped of their zone and that power noticed Grzegorz Pasiut put GKS forward halfway in the course of the consultation. Per Hanberg known as a time-out to take a look at and calm a rattled French staff however the Polish power persisted till Aleksi Vartinnen was once assessed a maintaining minor and introduced some reduction to Grenoble.
However, the comfort was once short-lived. Jordon Southorn took an needless O-zone penalty overdue in the second one duration handy the initiative again to GKS and the momentum carried at the 3rd body.
That penalty hassle was once a supply of frustration for captain Treille. “We said before the game in IIHF competitions the referees are more strict on those stick penalties,” he mentioned. “This is what we have to improve tomorrow. It starts from our discipline and especially in the offensive zone. We can’t take penalties there, we have to do it the right way.”
The Poles wanted targets to claw again the three-goal margin in opposition to Cardiff and provides themselves a possibility in any three-way tie for the trophy.
Despite extra power, additional scoring stubbornly refused to reach. A four-minute energy play got here to not anything, then Bartosz Fraszko chipped the puck over the bar from shut vary with the defence scrambling to get better its place.
And then got here the sucker punch. A BDL energy play took simply 16 seconds to ship a tying target. Alexis Binner fired in some degree shot and, amid a mighty scramble at the crease, Matais Bachelet filled the puck house to tie the sport with 5 mins to play. That sophisticated the result of Saturday’s recreation however simplified the total match equation by means of taking away any prospect of a three-way tie.
Both groups had probabilities to win it within the extras. Nicolas Deschamps dinged the piping for Grenoble, then GKS were given an influence play after Fleury took a hooking name with 2:37 left at the clock. However, neither aspect may pressure the break-through and the sport went to a shoot-out.
