The second week of matches in the European Trophy started with a real big party in Mannheim. In front of a huge crowd of 10 157 spectators in the SAP Arena, the Adler Mannheim goalie Fred Brathwaite, kept Swedish Djurgården scoreless, stopping 35 shots in the process and helping the hometeam to an important 3-0-win lifting the team into third place of the Capital division.

It was the effectiveness in powerplay that made the difference between the teams. Mannheim had four opportunities to play with one or two man more on the ice. To the delight of the huge contingent of homesupporters they scored on three of the teams powerplay. The first goal came 8.46 into the second period and was an all-canadian goal with Jame Pollock and Craig MacDonald setting up Nathan Robinson who lashed onto a rebound from Djurgården goalie Stefan Ridderwall to open the scoring. Five minutes later, German international defender Robert Dietrich hit a one-timer to double the lead on the third powerplay for Mannheim.

In the third period, the clapping and singing from the crowd pushed Mannheim on and when the Canadian defencemen Michel Periard and Jame Pollock (once again) set up the third goal for fellow countryman Francois Methot, the support from the crowd and the effective and intense play produced by Mannheim hade given the team a second straight win in the European Trophy, setting up an interesting two upcoming encounters with the other two other Swedish teams in the Capital division, Linköping on Friday and Färjestad on Saturday.

Both Swedish teams suffered defeats in the first of the three games on this weeks road-trip to Germany and the Czech Republic. Färjestad lost 5-1 to Sparta Praha, where Färjestad was slightly better in the opening third of the game, but where Sparta took control of the game in the second period, scoring twice. And adding another three goals in the third before the guests, with only three seconds to go on the clock, managed to find an opening in the armour of Sparta goalie Tomas Pöpperle.

Linköping also lost their first game on the road. Eisbären Berlin inflicted the third straight defeat on the Swedes, winning in a penaltyshoot-out with NHL-veteran and man of the match, Jeff Friesen, scoring the decisive penalty that gave Eisbären the bonuspoint.

In the fourth game of the Capital division, Jokerit won the all-Finnish encounter against HIFK, 3-1, picking up vital points in the race for a place in the Red Bull Salute. The all-Finnish encounter in the Central division also ended in a homewin with TPS inflicting the first defeat on Oulun Kärpät. But Vladimir Sicak managed to salvage a point for the topteam of the division, with an equalizing-goal on a powerplay at the end of the third period. Kärpät pushed hard for a winner in the third period, outshooting TPS 17-4, but homegoalie Atte Engren came up with huge saves during a double powerplay for Kärpät to take the game into overtime. And when TPS go a powerplay there Tomas Plihal scored the winner.

Kärpät are still top of the division though, but can be overtaken on Thursday when HV 71 take on Bern in Langenthal. That promises to be a thrilling encounter between two teams that both recorded wins on Wednesday. Bern had no problem beating Malmö Redhawks 5-1. HV 71 went one better in the game away to the other Swiss team in the European Trophy, ZSC Lions winning 6-1. But the game was a closer fought contest than the scoreline suggests. A goalscoring-explosion in the final minutes of the first period, when HV scored four times in 90 seconds, effectively killed the game off. HV-centreforward Kris Beech then scored his second of the game, his fifth of the tournament, to make sure HV still haven’t dropped a point after three games played.

Frölunda Indians also got off to a winning start on the road. After loosing 8-1 to HV 71 last week, Frölunda looked like winning in regulation-time away to Red Bull Salzburg, going 4-2 up at the end of the second period. But Salzburg showed a lot of character in coming back into the game and only 15 seconds to go, Dough Lynch scored the equalizer. Salzburg even got a great chance to win the game in overtime on a powerplay, but Frölunda kept the puck out and getting back to full strength, Henrik Tömmernes scored the winner with only 17 seconds to go in overtime.

European Trophy (2010-08-19 02:02:23)