Oleg Tymchenko’s team secured a convincing victory in the first game of the quarterfinal playoff series.
Kyiv Capitals (Ukraine) – Prizma (Latvia) – 7:2 (2:2; 5:0; 0:0)
Goals: 1:0 – Tsarkovskyi (Kostjuks), 03:45; 1:1 – Jekimovs (penalty shot), 07:41;
2:1 – Jansons (Begovs, Karsums, – power play), 12:26; 2:2 – Apfelbaums (Locmelis), 16:36; 3:2 – Novikovs (Kostjuks, Shamardin), 26:14; 4:2 – Shamardin (Kovalchuk, Tsarkovskyi), 28:16; 5:2 – Hu (Karsums, Andreykiv), 32:06; 6:2 – Klinecky (Fursa, Novikovs), 32:48; 7:2 – Kryvonozhkin (Kostjuks), 33:34.
Kyiv Capitals: Nazar Boiko; Vitalii Andreykiv – Eduards Hugo Jansons, Martins Karsums (c) – Lauris Bajaruns – Rustams Begovs; Edmunds Augstkalns – Alberto Colli, Yang Hu – Andrii Kryvonozhkin – Aleksandrs Novikovs; Ivan Shamardin – Daniel Klinecky, Mykhailo Kovalchuk – Danylo Tsarkovskyi – Daniil Fursa; Oleksii Melnykov – Andrejs Kostjuks, Valentyn Sirchenko – Denys Honcharenko.
Head coach: Oleg Tymchenko
Prizma: Arginto Milbergs (Martins Eldmanis, 32:48); Ija Grekovs – Toms Barens, Roberts Vorona – Italo Milbergs – Ricards Stamurs; Krists Apsitis – Matiss Birins, Valters Apfelbaums – Emils Ezitis – Edijs Brahmanis (c); Aleksandr Erofeev – Deniss Kornilovs, Emils Locmelis – Kristaps Riekstins – Roberts Jekimovs; Reinis Virsnitis – Haralds Gabrans, Rihards Purgailis – Riсards Jelenskis – Gustavs Alberts Moruzs.
Head coach: Eriks Miluns
Before the start of the playoffs, the home team’s roster was strengthened by the return of Karsums, Augstkalns, and Honcharenko. However, due to an injury sustained in the game against Panter,Cipruss was unavailable.
The hosts quickly energized the game and took the lead in the fourth minute. Tsarkovskyi deflected a shot from Kostjuks to score the first goal for Kyiv in the quarterfinal series.
Midway through the opening period, the visitors leveled the score. The best forward of the regular season, Roberts Jekimovs, first earned a penalty shot and then converted it himself.
Oleg Tymchenko’s team soon regained the advantage by capitalizing on their first power play opportunity. Begovs led a fast attack, and Jansons found himself in a forward’s position to finish Rustams’ cross-ice pass.
Although the Riga side failed to score during their two power plays, their equalizer began during a special-teams situation. Apfelbaums reacted quickest to a scramble near Boiko’s goal and sent the puck precisely into the corner of the net. The teams went into the first intermission tied.
The second period proved decisive. In the 27th minute, the Kyiv team reclaimed the lead when Kostjuks delivered a long pass across the ice to Novikovs, who broke in alone and lifted the puck over Arginto Milbergs.
That was only the beginning. Shamardin continued the trend of goals by defensemen with a powerful shot to finish a three-pass combination started by Tsarkovskyi and Kovalchuk.
In less than 90 seconds, the Capitals scored three more times. Hu completed a brilliant play initiated by Karsums and Andreykiv, Klinecky became the third defenseman to score in the game, and Kryvonozhkin finished another assist from Kostjuks to put an emphatic exclamation mark on the first game of the series.
No further goals were scored for the remainder of the match, which ended 7:2.
The series will continue on March 16 at 19:00 on the ice of Prizma.
