Metallurg Magnitogorsk – the most frequently named challenger of the defending champion Team Canada – must pack their bags and depart. The Russians surprisingly lost their quarter-final game against the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers from Nürnberg 3-1 on Saturday afternoon. The Germans now face Team Canada in the semi-finals on Sunday afternoon (3:10 pm).

The Ice Tigers deservedly beat Metallurg Magnitogorsk with their aggressive, hands-on efficient and strategic performance. They effectively steered the game to their advantage. After just 246 seconds of play, the Captain Patrick Reimer shot the go-ahead goal. At the beginning of the second period, Metallurg’s top-scorer Nikolai Kulemin equalized the game in a power play situation. However, just about 5 minutes later, Brandon Buck also took advantage of a player majority and reinstated the lead for the Germans 2-1. Just prior to the end of the period, Leonhard Pföderl sunk the 3rd goal for the Ice Tigers in a training manual counterattack. Thereafter, the Nürnberger successfully defended their lead. Goaltender Niklas Treulte proved his reliability and absolutely faultless support. He deflected 29 shots-on-goal, resulting in a defensive quota of 96.67 percent.

In the last 4 minutes of the game, the Russians played with 6 on the ice and during 67 seconds were even in double majority to attempt to turn the tide. Their several attempts failed against Treutle, their offensive strikes were mostly harmless. In the 3 games, the team only achieved 2 goals, one of which was the winning shot during the penalty shoot-out against Trinec.

The surprising poor performance of Metallurg Magnitogorsk is in line with the disappointing representation of the teams from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in recent years – supposedly the best league outside of the North American NHL. Since the tournament win by SKA St. Petersburg in 2010, 12 KHL teams have participated at the Spengler Cup. Only 3 of them were able to win at least 2 games at the same tournament.

Metallurg Magnitogorsk – Nürnberg Ice Tigers 1-3 (0-1, 1-2, 0-0)

Vaillant Arena, Davos – 5,605 spectators – REF Stricker/Wiegand, Castelli/Fuchs.

Scoring: 5. Reimer (Weiss) 0-1. 22. Kulemin (Warfolomejew/excluding Segal) 1-1. 27. Buck (Acton, Lalonde/excluding Kulemin) 1-2. 29. Pföderl (Reimer, Weiss) 1-3.

Penalties: 3 times 2 minutes against Metallurg Magnitogorsk, 8 times 2 minutes against Nuremberg Ice Tigers.

Metallurg Magnitogorsk: Sagidulin; Saizew, Matuschkin; Birjukow, Rylow; Wereschtschagin, Wassiljew; Igoschew; Warfolomejew, Ellison, Kulemin; Pakarinen, Rasmussen, Dorofejew; Bulir, Chibissow, Ljubimow; Juri Platonow, Nekolenko, Jaskow; Djukarew.

Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers: Treutle; Weber, Gilbert; Aronson, Festerling; Mebus, Lalonde; Bender, Jurcina; Bassen, Bast, Buck; Pföderl, Weiss, Reimer; Mieszkowski, Acton, Brown; Fox, Lerg, Segal.

Notes: Goal post shots: Djukarew (11th minute), Gilbert (57th minute).