Over the first two weekends of this year's Champions Hockey League, perhaps the most improbable accomplishment of any team was what Storhamar Hamar did on Game Days 3 and 4 – going on the road and taking six points from Sparta Prague and Geneve-Servette on Friday and Saturday nights. 

by Derek O'Brien and Remy Lamon

PRAGUE and GENEVA – They qualified for the Champions Hockey League as a wild card, runners up in the Norwegian Ligaen and clearly projected to be the odd team out of Group M, which also contains Sparta Prague and Geneve-Servette. They gave a good effort in their first CHL game at home but fell 3–2 to Sparta. Then they went on the road to play the two teams in their group on back-to-back nights, Friday and Saturday. Considering all of that, what Storhamar Hamar accomplished is amazing.

They weren't really expected to take any points from the two games. If they'd managed one or two, that would have been great. Once they had three after the first game, the trip was already a resounding success. But more? Six even? No way.

The trip opened Friday night at O2 Arena in Prague. With an energetic following of about 400 fans who made the trip from Norway, Storhamar got great goaltending from Oskar Ostlund, their penalty killing was perfect, and then got a break in the last minute with the score tied 1–1 when captain Christian Larivee stepped out of the penalty box, took a breakaway pass from Mikael Zettergren, and scored the game-winning goal to win 2–1. 

“Against such a big club like that, I thought it was over,” Larivee recalled thinking when he went to the penalty box with just under three minutes left. “But as it went on our goalie was playing so well and our PK was doing so well and I started to get more confidence that we would survive it, but the best I was hoping for was that we would get it to overtime. The way it actually happened was like a dream come true.”

But what was a dream for Storhamar was a nightmare for Sparta, who felt like they had let that one get away. 

“Of course we are really angry,” said Sparta coach Josef Jandac. “To let in a goal that late in the game, moreover after the end of our power play. We didn’t play well on the power play – actually, we didn’t play well at all today. I warned the guys during the last power play to play it simple, that even the one point is really important and can decide the whole group. But we played it like bunch of fishermen. So we're angry and disappointed and the group is now really interesting.”

Interesting indeed, as three points to Storhamar meant they were now a point up on Geneve and just one back of Sparta, and things were about to get more interesting.

“These three points are very important for our team,” said a stoic Storhamar coach Alexander Smirnov, calmly analysing the game in contrast to the emotions displayed by his players. “I think we played a pretty good game today. We took too many penalties, but our penalty killing was very good. We looked at the video from last game when Sparta scored two goals on the power play. We talked to the guys today about playing smart.”

As someone who has spent many years playing and coaching in Storhamar, Smirnov was asked to put the win in historical perspective. He thought carefully and said, “I think this was maybe the most important win for us ever, that I can think of.

“We play again tomorrow but it doesn't matter, we're a professional team and we'll be ready,” Smirnov said, immediately coming back to the present, and focusing on the game the following night in Geneva. “Our whole group is close – all three teams have a chance to go to the next round. Tomorrow we'll try to take maybe one, maybe three points, I don't know . . . we'll try to win again.” 

And three it was! And it isn't even just that Storhamar went into Geneva less than 24 hours after grinding out a win in Prague and won again, 3–0 – but how they won. They played disciplined. They stuck to the system. It wasn't even relying on Robert Hestmann to bail them out, although he was perfect in stopping all 31 shots he faced. 

Even the reaction from Geneve-Servette players and coaches after the game was telling. Unlike Sparta, who figured they had given the game away to Storhamar, Geneve thought they'd played a pretty good game, for the most part, and praised Storhamar's intelligent approach.   

“We did not play badly today,” said Geneve assistant coach Louis Matte. “We had a good start. If we'd scored on our power plays in the first period it would have changed the game. But the longer we went without scoring, we had to start taking chances. We pressed, which left us vulnerable, and they took advantage.”

“We have to give lots of credit to Storhamar,” said Geneve goalie Robert Mayer, who stopped 17 of 20 shots. “We had chances, but they scored. We knew the game would be very tight after the win they had in Prague. They are smart on the ice: they play smart in their zone and are very well organized. They wait for opportunities and they had rebounds they converted into goals.”

Even Smirnov had more praise for his team in Geneva than he did in Prague.

“We played yesterday in Prague and again today,” the Storhamar coach reminded everyone. “It was tough. After the game yesterday, I talked with my guys and told them we had to work hard today. Tonight was a good game. Both teams played well. We played smart.” 

“Winning yesterday in the last 30 seconds of the game in Prague was a plus for them,” figured Matte. “They arrived in Geneva with high self esteem, full of confidence. The first goal strengthened this feeling. They have a great warriors' spirit – they are ready to sacrifice to win points. We have no other choice than to win there next week.”

Now group leaders with six points, a spot in the next round is literally Storhamar's to lose. They just need a single point in Thursday's home game against Geneve and they're through. Even if they don't get it, they still probably advance – the only way they could miss now would be to lose at home by three or more goals and then have Sparta beat Geneve in overtime or a shootout to force a three-way tie. 

“For next week, both teams will use tonight's game and work on it,” said Matte. He foreshadowed Thursday's game by adding, “We have a bitter taste in our mouths. When you play badly, you know why you lost. Tonight we did not play badly. We have a bitter taste.”

In the aftermath of two big wins, Smirnov concluded, “I haven't thought about next week yet. I don't feel that we are in front of the others or already qualified. We play one game at a time. We are ready for Geneve to try to get revenge on us. We are ready.”