- Sebastian Repo scores for Lukko in the first period
- Nigel Dawes ties the game in the third
- Dennis Endras stops all five shots in the shootout as Dawes nets the winner
Things are heating up in Group C of the 2021/22 Champions Hockey League, with no team really running away with things after three games, so as Adler Mannheim hosted Lukko Rauma, it was shaping up to be a tight contest.
In the first meeting, it was all Lukko who skated out to a 5-1 victory, but the second encounter proved to be much tighter.
Lukko continued to dominate the shot charts, but this time couldn’t find much success. 10 minutes into the opening period, Sebastian Repo broke the deadlock for Lukko, proving why he’s wearing the top scorer jersey as he played a quick shot after a pass from behind the goal line to beat Dennis Endras, who stood tall for the remainder of the period, and all the way through the second as the score remained at just 1-0 to Lukko heading into the final 20 minutes.
Both sides traded opportunities in the third, with Lukko looking to extend their lead and Mannheim looking to tie things up, and eventually the stalement was broken as Nigel Dawes levelled the scoring, ripping his shot past Lassi Lehtinen to tie things up at one a piece.
With the game looking destined for overtime, Mannheim were given an advantage in the final two minutes. A four minute powerplay came their way after Korbinian Holzer was caught up high by an errand stick of Kristian Popisil. That meant the hosts had a chance to steal all three points late on, but they couldn't seal it in regulation and would begin overtime still with a man advantage, and at four on three, there was plenty of ice to work with.
Despite their best efforts, the extra man didn't help, Mannheim moved the puck well, but Lukko defended even better, killing the remainder of the penalty and trying to secure the win themselves with some offensive work, but neither side could close the deal in the extra session and it was off to a shootout to decide this contest.
Dennis Endras would prove to be the hero in the shootout, denying all five shooters including Lukko goalscorer Sebastian Repo to seal victory, after Nigel Dawes added to his regulation goal with the only goal in the five rounds of the shootout, Mannheim secured the extra point in a 2-1 win.