Mogo Riga dominates in Vilnius, Hockey Punks overcome Narva in thrilling comeback

The second day of the Continental Cup kicks off in Vilnius with another matchup, where Latvian side Mogo Riga enter as clear favorites against Skautafelag Akureyri. What unfolds on the ice does not contradict the predictions, although the game is far from the one-sided rout seen against the hapless Narva. The contest is never really in doubt, yet the Icelanders refuse to play the role of sacrificial lambs, forcing the Latvian favorites into a challenge perhaps beyond their expectations, as evidenced by the numerous penalties conceded by Mogo—a sign of mounting nerves.

As expected, the result is never seriously threatened. Mogo takes just a minute to open the scoring with Elviss Zelubovskis, who doubles the lead by the 6th minute. Kristers Ansons then closes the first period, giving his team a commanding 3-0 advantage. In the middle period, a series of penalties forces Mogo to play significant stretches shorthanded, paving the way for Akureyri’s goal by Atli Sveinsson. It is only a brief scare, as Reinis Lejnieks, Kristers Ansons, and Deivids Sarkanis quickly restore Mogo’s comfortable lead.

In the final period, Mogo adds only one more goal, with Lejnieks scoring after three minutes, despite their continued dominance and the visible fatigue of their opponents. However, the Icelanders can take satisfaction in earning a late goal in the last quarter, courtesy of Sveinsson’s second strike against a clearly superior opponent.

Later in the evening, hosts Hockey Punks continued their perfect start to the tournament, defeating Narva PSK in front of a strong home crowd. Unlike their previous game against Mogo, in which they were largely invisible, Narva presented a more competitive challenge. After a three-goal lead at the end of the first period, the Punks were briefly rattled early in the second period by Max Valja’s goal and the Estonians’ increased aggression, which resulted in Ilja Zuckovs suffering a heavy hit.

The match became more balanced, with Nolan Regan scoring shorthanded for Narva, only for Nikita Kirillov to respond on the power play with a powerful long-range shot, followed by Alex Maunula’s fifth goal for the Punks. However, the end of the period belonged to the Estonians, who closed the gap with two scramble goals from Kirillov and Aleksandr Kuznetsov.

Narva completed their comeback just 10 seconds into the final period with Jegor Nevzorov’s equalizer, bringing the score to 5-5. Yet, just when it seemed the Punks might succumb to an unexpected defeat, Narva’s momentum stalled, as if the draw had drained their energy. The hosts quickly dispelled the threat with two goals from Ilja Zuckovs between the 48th and 51st minutes. Narva faded, and the Punks pulled away, securing the 8-5 lead through Rokas Bacevicius, which also prompted a goalie change for the Estonians. With Narva running on empty, the final minutes saw the Punks attempt to extend their lead, though Canadian keeper Michael Strachan made several key saves. Ultimately, the victory granted the Punks three crucial points, setting the stage for a decisive clash with Mogo.

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