For the second straight game, Mountfield HK blew open a close game against Eisbären Berlin in the third period. Radovan Pavlík and Lukáš Pajer each scored twice for Mountfield and Berlin’s 17-year-old netminder Felix Noack did all he could, making 39 saves.

The game was tied 1-1 after the first period and 2-2 after period two, as the two teams exchanged goals just 19 seconds apart in the ninth minute of the first period and then 2:09 apart in the middle of the second.

Berlin struck first off the rush, with Frank Mauer carrying the puck down the right wing and threading the needle with a pass to Zach Boychuk, and the former Carolina Hurricane beat Henri Kiviaho with a wrist shot over the blocker. Then River Rymsha tied it for Mountfield on a beautiful individual play, beating the Berlin defence wide, then cutting in front and beating Noack inside the far post.

Matthew White got Berlin the lead back in the 28th minute, letting go a bullet of a one-timer from the top of the circle after a perfectly-placed drop pass from Giovanni Fiore. Die Eisbären then had a golden opportunity to widen their lead as two quick Mountfield penalties gave them a 5-on-3 advantage. But it was the home team that capitalized, thanks to another brilliant solo effort. Right off a faceoff in the Mountfield zone, Pavlík picked up the puck inside his own blueline, beat two Berlin players and then Noack between the legs on the backhand.

Berlin put on enormous pressure during a powerplay late in the middle frame, with the puck quickly moved around for a backdoor one-timer from White, who shot wide of the empty net, then looked skyward in disbelief.

With 15:31 to play, Kevin Klíma gave Mountfield their first lead with a long wrister that Noack got a piece of but the puck just dribbled across the line.

Then the floodgates opened, as Pavlík added his second of the game at even strength, followed by two powerplay markers from Pajer and one from Oliver Okuliar. Jan Veselý rounded out the scoring in the last three minutes to make it an 8-2 final as the Czechs sealed top spot in Group G.