Kärpät and Sparta Praha grab the last spots

08 Oct 2014 | Henrik Lundqvist

Today when the last games of the group stage of the Champions Hockey League were played, a Finnish and a Czech team secured the last two spots in the playoffs.

The winner in the game between Kärpät and Liberec would win Group A. It was the Finnish home team that scored an early goal and then kept the lead until the end. Sakari Manninen was the player of the day as he scored 1-0 in the fourth minute and then got the 3-0 goal in the middle of the third period. Julius Junttila had scored 2-0. Adam Masuhr was credited with an assist at all home goals. Petr Jelinec scored the only Liberec goal with three minutes remaining.

Sparta Praha needed three points against Adler Mannheim to win Group G otherwise Växjö Lakers would advance. In the end Sparta won 6-3 to become the only Czech team in the playoffs. But the game was close until the final minutes. It was tied 1-1 after one period and 2-2 late in the second after Mannheim had had a 2-1 lead. Lukas Klimek and Petr Kumstat then scored to give Sparta a 4-2 lead, but the German side hadn't given up. They pulled netminder Youri Ziffzer and Robert Raymond scored 4-3. The Czech players then scored two goals in the empty net and could finally celebrate.

The draw for the 1/8 finals will be held in Helsinki on Friday. In Pot A we find the eight best group winners: Frölunda (SWE), Red Bull Salzburg (AUT), Lukko Rauma (FIN), Skellefteå AIK (SWE), Vienna Capitals (AUT), Linköping HC (SWE), Fribourg-Gottéron (SUI) and SaiPa Lappeenranta.

In Pot B are Kärpät Oulu (FIN), Sparta Prague (CZE), Tappara Tampere (FIN), Luleå Hockey (SWE), Genève-Servette (SUI), IFK Helsinki (FIN), JYP Jyväskylä (FIN), TPS Turku (FIN) found.