In a defensive game that saw one goal in each period, Kometa Brno scored in the first and third to win their first-ever CHL game, 2-1 over the Oilers in Stavanger.

“It was a pretty good game with lots of intensity against a strong opponent, and I think overall our players played a solid team game,” said Brno assistant coach Kamil Pokorný.

Vojtěch Němec opened the scoring in the 15th minute, but Markus Soberg tied it for Stavanger in the 27th when he put a rebound past Marek Čiliak, who otherwise stopped all 13 shots he faced in the game. The winning goal was scored by Canadian Alexandre Maillet with 12:05 to go in regulation time when he one-timed a pass from the slot by Hynek Zohorna. Then two minutes later, the Soberg had a golden chance to tie it for a second time when he was awarded a penalty shot, but his shot from the backhand went just wide.

“I thought we struggled to manage the puck this game,” said Oilers’ coach Pal Gulbrandsen. “I thought we played well the first 10 minutes of the first period, and then we started well in the second, got the goal and a few other chances, and late in the game we had the chance on the penalty shot and missed. Overall we have to keep that up over a full 60 minutes.”