Sports
AFP Photo / Dean Treml
Ice Hockey: 2008 champs destroyed in the final
Published 29 January, 2009, 17:28
The Ice Hockey final of this year's Champions League ended in disappointing fashion for Russian side Metallurg Magnitogorsk as they lost to the Zurich Lions 5-0 in last night's second leg, and 7-2 on aggregate.
To win the Cup for the second successive year Metallurg needed a victory in Switzerland against the Zurich Lions, who already managed to surprise the reigning Champions from Magnitogorsk in the first leg a week ago.
Both sides started from scratch after a two-all draw.
The hosts opened the scoring 17 minutes in. Blaine Down was the first to the rebound after Domenico Pitt’s powerful shot.
In the second period the Lions lit the red light behind Ilya Proskuryakov’s goal for the second time that night. Peter Sejna converted a powerplay, while the competition’s top scorer Adrian Wichser recorded his twelfth assist of the campaign.
The Swiss team midway received another powerplay during the third period. This time Mathias Seger left Ilya Proskuryakov no chance with his powerful shot from the blue line.
Moments later Jan Alston found himself unmarked and, after receiving a pinpoint pass from Thibault Monnet, easily hit the target, making it four-nil overall.
After that goal the game was effectively over, but Zurich had tasted blood and added another insult to injury with less than three minutes to go.
At the victory ceremony Captain Seger stepped up to receive the Cup, but he immediately handed it over to Zurich goalie Ari Sulander of Finland, who was probably their most instrumental player, having kept his goal intact.
So, the Swiss Champions have won the biggest title in their team’s history and earned the right to face the 2009 Stanley Cup winners in a million-dollar challenge match in October.
