JYP Jyväskylä are off to the next round after securing a 3-2 shootout victory over visiting Neman Grodno. Once the game went into overtime, the single point was enough to put the Finnish team through. Taking the extra point in the shootout officially eliminates Neman from advancing as well.
JYP got the only goal in the third minute of an evenly played first period, with Robert Rooba providing a nifty mid-air tip of a point shot on the power play. It then took just nine seconds into the second period for JYP to score their second goal when Micke Saari stripped the puck right off a Neman defenceman, then skated in and beat Vitali Trus to the glove side.
With a two-goal lead and needing only a point to advance, JYP’s spot looked more and more secure with every minute that ticked off the third period. However, the Belarusian champions just wouldn’t quit and struck twice, 1:23 apart, with under eight minutes to play. First, Artyom Kisly got his team on the board, going high stick side on Jussi Olkinuora while being checked to the ice. Then Alexander Zhidkikh tied it with 6:19 on the clock.
When regulation time ended, JYP secured their berth in the Round of 16. Neman needed to come out victorious to keep their very slim hopes alive, but after a scoreless five-minute period and four goalless shootout rounds, Micke Saari ended the game with the lone goal in the fifth round.
"The start was good for us. In the second period our grip was slipping slightly and the third was their period. They tied the game. But all in all, two points and the spot to advance feels good."Robert Rooba, foward, JYP Jyväskylä
"It was a good game, we were working hard, but it just wasn’t enough to win. We need to score more goals. We had a lot of good chances to score, but we need to take better advantage of our scoring chances."Artyom Kisly, forward, Neman Grodno