SaiPa Lappeenranta advance to the Round of 32 with a 3-2 shootout victory over Lulea Hockey. Read more in Gamecentre.

With no points after two games, Lulea Hockey were in need of a huge performance in their third game if they wanted to avoid being on the verge of elimination in Group I. In what was by far their best effort of the young season so far, they dominated previously unbeaten SaiPa Lappeenranta in their own rink for most of the game, but it still wasn't enough to get three points. After leading 2-0, they had to settle for one point after a 3-2 shootout loss.

Lulea's purpose was evident almost right off the opening faceoff as they fired several shots on Jussi Markkanen, but in the 12th minute the SaiPa goalie gave up a juicy rebound on Daine Todd's high shot and Karl Fabricius pounced on it and had a wide-open net in which to deposit the game's first goal. They continued to carry the play through the second period and Julius Junttila made it 2-0 in the 35th minute, as his shot hit a SaiPa stick and fooled Markkanen.

Lulea nearly got a third goal on a third-period power play, which would have surely put the game away, but it was called back due to an interference call against Bill Sweatt. Once the SaiPa power play clicked in they made it count, as Matti Jarvinen's shot was deflected mid-air by Curtis Hamilton with 8:39 to play. Lulea complained of a high-stick, but after video review the goal was confirmed. That gave the home team a momentum boost and they pushed hard for the equalizer after that, very nearly forcing it across the line in a goalmouth scramble with just over four minutes to play, but Joel Lassinantti came up with a big goal-line stand. 

SaiPa went to the power play with 1:14 to go and, with Markkanen pulled for a 6-on-4 advantage, they got the equalizer with a minute to go when Eetu Koski's slapper pinballed past Lassinantti. 

After a scorless five-minute overtime, the game was decided in a shootout. Matti Jarvinen scored on SaiPa's first attempt, and that was the only goal in 10 attempts either way, with Lulea's Johan Forsberg shooting wide to end the game. 

"I feel that this game was little bit different that the game in the Lulea," said SaiPa head coach Ari Santanen. "We didn't start well, I don't know why. For most of the game, Lulea were skating much better than us and moved the puck better than we did but still we we played well defensively. The last 10 minutes of the third period were excellent for us. We fore-checked very hard and had so many chances to score. It was a really tough game."

With the win, SaiPa are guaranteed a spot in the Round of 32, and they need only one point from their last game against Eisbaren Berlin to secure top spot in the group. As for Lulea, they have their first point, but still need a win at home against Berlin and help from SaiPa. 

"We had the game and then we let them back into it in the third period with some scoring chances," a disappointed Stefan Nilsson, Lulea head coach, said after the game. "I don't know why we did it. we played the way we wanted for two periods, had a two-goal lead, and we talked about keeping their chances down, but we just couldn't hold on." About the last game, he lamented, "We don't have our destiny in our own hands anymore, but we're going to do everything we can to beat Berlin."