There wasn't much to choose between two well-coached, disciplined teams through 65 minutes of hockey followed by a marathon 10-round shootout in which goaltenders Juha Metsola and Josef Kořenář starred. Finally, Kristian Tanus scored two shootout goals, including the winner, to give visiting Tappara Tampere a 2-1 victory over Sparta Prague.

But Tanus’ first penalty shot of the game wasn’t successful. It came in just the second minute after Sparta’s Jakub Krejčík was called for hooking. On his attempt, Tanus made a move to his forehand but Kořenář stayed with him and made a pad save.

Tappara had a few early chances before the period settled down and then Sparta pushed late, but the first period ended scoreless, with each team having eight shots on goal.

Tappara opened the scoring just shy off the game’s midpoint. Late in a powerplay, they entered the Sparta zone off the rush and Otto Leskinen passed to Aleksi Mustonen on the right-wing boards. Mustonen then cut into the middle and beat Kořenář with a wrister to the blocker side.

Five minutes later, Sparta tied it. The puck was behind the Tappara net and Pavel Kousal sent a backhand pass in front. After a couple of bounces, the puck ended up in the net with the goal credited to Filip Chlapík, the last Sparta player to touch the puck.

Chlapík then had a great chance to give Sparta the lead early in the third period when he was set up right in front but he just missed the post. Then Tappara went to the powerplay but never seriously threatened, and the third period settled back down into a defensive rhythm. Kousal had a great chance for Sparta late in regulation time but Metsola made a great glove save to preserve at least a point for his team.

Metsola made an even better save in overtime when he made a point-blank save off of Roman Horák, who tried to go five-hole. 

That set the stage for a shootout that seemed it would never end, as the two goalies each denied the first eight shooters they faced. Finally, in the ninth round, Tanus scored for Tappara, followed by Horák for Sparta. In round 10, Tanus beat Kořenář high to the glove side and Metola denied Valtteri Kemiläinen to end the game.