Group G is one of two groups where three teams still have a chance to finish first. After five games, Sparta Prague and the Vaxjo Lakers are tied with nine points, with KalPa Kuopio sitting two back. They can win it with a regulation win combined with some help from Adler Mannheim.
by Derek O'Brien, with contribution from Julia Bjers
Sparta Prague started Game Day 5 with eight points, and had a one-point lead over KalPa Kuopio and two points ahead of the Vaxjo Lakers in a tight race. They played in Mannheim on 23 September against Adler, the fourth team in the group with three points.
Mannheim were leading 2–1 in the late going and Sparta were in danger of losing their grip on first place, but with their goaltender out in the last minute got a tying goal from Juraj Mikus to earn a point. They couldn't manage a second, however, as veteran Jochen Hecht scored a power-play goal in overtime to give Adler the win and further compact the group standings.
"We came out hard and forced our game onto them," said the overtime hero Hecht. "We didn't let them skate with the puck and forced turnovers, and our power play was clicking today; it got two goals for us."
"We got the goal at the end to get the point, so that was good, and it's an important point for the standings," said Sparta defenceman Robert Sabolic, evaluating the point gained but also what got away. "But we had a chance for more and we wanted to win so it's disappointing."
With only one point from Sparta, both Vaxjo and KalPa had their sights set on moving up in the group table when they met in southern Sweden the next day. KalPa could have taken over first place with three points, while Vaxjo had a chance to tie Sparta. Tuomas Kiiskinen and Nick Johnson gave the Lakers a 2–0 lead on home ice, and they played tight defence to protect the lead the rest of the way. Tomas Kubalik got one for KalPa midway through the third period, but they couldn't get another.
"It was a very special game," said Kiiskinen, who used to play for KalPa. "I spent seven years with that club so I knew it was going to be like that, but I think we did well here. We got a power-play goal in the second period to get the lead; I think we played well that period. The first was a bit rough but we came back and played a pretty solid period."
"I know Kiiskinen since I’m also from Kuopio. He is a good guy and a good player so I wasn’t surprised that he (had a goal and an assist) tonight," said KalPa's Jaakob Rissanen. "I think we had a pretty good start. The first period was ours but then we lost it in the second and the third one was also pretty good. The only thing we missed was the goals. We played really well, it’s just that we couldn’t bury the puck."
When the teams meet again on 7 October, it will be in Kuopio this time, so Kiiskinen will play in his hometown as a visiting player. But there's more to the game than that. Both teams will have their sights set on winning the group. Vaxjo has a better chance with a two-point lead on KalPa, but both teams will be at the mercy of the Sparta–Mannheim game on 8 October, where Sparta can claim the group title with a regulation win, regardless of what happens on Tuesday.
Group G standings
| Team | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF:GA | GDF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta Prague | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19:16 | +3 | 9 |
| Vaxjo Lakers | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16:13 | +3 | 9 |
| KalPa Kuopio | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10:12 | -2 | 7 |
| Adler Mannheim | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8:12 | -4 | 5 |
Schedule and results
| Date | Time | Group | Home | Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21.08.2014 | 18:30 | Group G | KalPa Kuopio | Sparta Prague | 4:5 (2:0, 1:2, 1:2, 0:0, 0:1) |
| 21.08.2014 | 20:05 | Group G | Vaxjo Lakers | Adler Mannheim | 6:1 (1:0, 1:1, 4:0) |
| 24.08.2014 | 16:00 | Group G | Vaxjo Lakers | Sparta Prague | 2:5 (1:1, 0:2, 1:2) |
| 24.08.2014 | 16:00 | Group G | KalPa Kuopio | Adler Mannheim | 1:0 (1:0, 0:0, 0:0) |
| 04.09.2014 | 19:30 | Group G | Adler Mannheim | KalPa Kuopio | 3:1 (1:0, 0:0, 2:1) |
| 04.09.2014 | 20:05 | Group G | Sparta Prague | Vaxjo Lakers | 5:4 (0:0, 3:1, 2:3) |
| 06.09.2014 | 14:35 | Group G | Adler Mannheim | Vaxjo Lakers | 1:2 (1:0, 0:1, 0:1) |
| 06.09.2014 | 20:00 | Group G | Sparta Prague | KalPa Kuopio | 2:3 (1:1, 1:2, 0:0) |
| 23.09.2014 | 19:30 | Group G | Adler Mannheim | Sparta Prague | 3:2 (1:0, 0:1, 1:1, 1:0) |
| 24.09.2014 | 20:05 | Group G | Vaxjo Lakers | KalPa Kuopio | 2:1 (1:0, 1:0, 0:1) |
| 07.10.2014 | 18:30 | Group G | KalPa Kuopio | Vaxjo Lakers | |
| 08.10.2014 | 20:00 | Group G | Sparta Prague | Adler Mannheim |
Game Day 6 possibilities
For an explanation of how the final 16 teams are determined, click here.
Sparta Prague: home vs Mannheim. Clinch 1st place with 3 points. Can also finish 1st with 2 points as long as Vaxjo take no more than 2, or with 1 point as long as KalPa beat Vaxjo in extra time. Finish 2nd place with 2 points, combined with 3 points from Vaxjo, in which case a 2nd place wild-card spot is possible. Also finish 2nd with 1 point, combined with 2 points from Vaxjo OR 3 points from KalPa, in which case a wild-card spot is still possible, but highly unlikely. Cannot advance with 0 points. Win tie-breaker vs Vaxjo, lose tie-breaker vs KalPa.
Vaxjo Lakers: away vs KalPa. Clinch 1st place with 3 points, combined with no more than 2 points from Sparta. Also finish 1st with 2 points, combined with no more than 1 from Sparta or with 1, combined with 0 from Sparta. Can get 2nd place wild-card with 1 or more points, combined with equal or greater points from Sparta, with chances greatly increasing with each point earned. Cannot advance with 0 points. Lose tie-breaker vs Sparta, cannot finish tied with KalPa.
KalPa Kuopio: home vs Vaxjo. Clinch 1st place with 3 points, combined with 1 or 0 points from Sparta. Cannot advance with 2 or fewer points. Hold tie-breaker vs Sparta, cannot finish tied with Vaxjo.