Dinamo - Khimik, review

Dinamo Riga vs.
Khimik Voskresensk

27.12.08

4:2

The goalies were Martin Prusek and Andrei Vasilyev.

The start for Dinamo Riga was great – Matt Ellison opened the result already on the 25th second of the match! It seemed this could have been the start of a major crushing of Khimik, but it wasn’t so. Even though Dinamo began so well, Khimik showed very soon, that it didn’t come to Riga for losing. The visiting team didn’t let Dinamo to feel free in their zone, what’s more – Khimik attacked itself (dangerously I must say) and thanks to that (and to the week actions of Dinamo players) was able to tie the result very soon! After that Voskresensk club continued to offense, but then the game became equal. Both teams attacked, but without result; both teams had a chance to play in power-play, but also with no result.

The second period was similar. Dinamo got a PP on the 3rd minute and scored. But the joy wasn’t long. 52 seconds later the score-board already showed a 2:2. The teams continued attacking. Dinamo Riga had absolutely no luck in scoring; Khimik Voskresensk didn’t score thanks to Prusek and sometimes to our defenders.

The pressure was getting stronger in the last twenty minutes. Dinamo had more chances to score in the first half of the period. Then – the teams exchanged penalties, which none of the clubs used properly. On the 9th minute Aleksandrs Nizivijs gave Dinamo the lead, making the fans explode from delight. After that Dinamo was left short-handed, but held out. Khimik tried to tie the result as hard as it could, but Dinamo controlled the puck more and didn’t let the opponent to create many moments. On the pre-last minute Dinamo scored its 4th goal and nobody else doubted that it was the victory.

Well… to be honest, Dinamo Riga didn’t look so good in this match. The players sometimes looked slow, withered and had problems in working with the puck from time to time. After the last matches Dinamo Riga had, with the game it showed, and also after such a fast goal in this match, it’s possible the team was in euphoria and thought it will win a team like Khimik (with all respect) with no problems. But Dinamo Riga is not such a high-classed club to allow it thinking so. In fact, even major clubs can’t think like that. Well, whatever, but if Dinamo Riga wants to get points (I’m not even talking about winning) in the next game, which is tomorrow against Baris Astana, it has to play much more better than it did today, it has to play carefully and intently. It’s going to be ve-ery hard, but Dinamo needs points, so we hope our team will do its best tomorrow.

Some highlights:

Dinamo Riga – Khimik Voskresensk 4:2 (1:1, 1:1, 2:0)

Goals: 00:25 Matt Ellison (Marcel Hossa, Krisjanis Redlihs) 1:0, 04:57 Viktor Bobrov (Sergei Luchinkin, Maksim Galkin) 1:1, 23:03 Marcel Hossa (Filip Novak, PP) 2:1, 23:55 Maksim Galkin (Aleksandr Kozhevnikov, Sergei Luchinkin) 2:2, 48:22 Aleksandr Nizivijs (Mark Hartigan) 3:2, 58:04 Martins Cipulis (Mark Hartigan, Aleksandrs Nizivijs) 4:2.

Penalties: 10 – 10.