EHT: Shootout decides the first game

The Oddset Hockey Games is the third Euro Hockey Tour Tournament 2012/13 and is played in Malmö, Sweden. The first game however was played in St. Petersburg, Russia.

After a late Finnish equalizer and a scoreless overtime period the game had to decided in a shootout. It started well for Finland as Sakari Salminen opened the shootout with beating the Russian goalie Vasily Koshechkin. Then Alexander Radulov missed for Russia and Marko Anttila for Finland. Sergey Mozyakin completed the second round by getting the puck past Atte Engren in the Finnish net. Juhamatti Aaltonen who had scored all three Finnish goals in regulation then failed Finland to give the advantage. Instead Viktor Tikhonov decided the game and won the bonus point to the home team.

Juhamatti Aaltonen scored twice in the first period to take Finland to a 2-0 lead. Anton Belov scored the first Russian goal at five minutes of the second period. Twenty minutes later Alexander Perezhogin tied it as he shot from behind the net off Engren and into the net. Halfways through the third period Vadim Shipachev took Russia to the lead for the first time. Finland got a power play with 3:19 remaining and pulled the goalie, but when Juha-Pekka Hytönen got a holding the stick call 2:03 before the end the game looked lost for Finland. Juhamatti Aaltonen wanted something else and while playing short-handed (with pulled goalie) he completed his hat trick at 59:22.

The tournament now moves to Malmö where Sweden will play Czech Republic tomorrow.

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