SaiPa Lappeenranta became the first team to score on and beat Dynamo Pardubice this Champions Hockey League season following a 3-2 home-ice victory. The Finnish team built up a 3-0 lead before barely hanging on.

Just a minute into the game, Pardubice captain Lukáš Sedlák was stopped on a breakaway by Kari Piiroinen. The first powerplay of the game went to Pardubice but SaiPa got the best chance to score shorthanded. Then late in the period, on SaiPa’s first powerplay, the Finnish team opened the scoring. Off an attacking-zone faceoff win, Petrus Palmu’s wrist shot from the high slot found room upstairs on Malcom-Jamaal Subban.

SaiPa thought they’d gone up 2-0 early in the second period but, following a Pardubice challenge, the goal was called back due to goaltender interference.

However, later in the middle frame, two quick goals by Einar Emanuelsson gave SaiPa a three-goal lead.

With just over six minutes to go, Pardubice failed to clear the zone and Vertti Svensk’s shot from just inside the blueline was tipped in front by Emanuelsson. Then just 31 seconds later, Emanuelsson’s original shot attempt was blocked, but he regained the puck right in front of Subban and chipped it over the Pardubice goalie.

The Czech champs got one back just before the second period expired. Off a faceoff in the SaiPa zone, David Tomášek’s shot from the slot found the net just as the horn sounded. Video replay was needed to confirm the timing but the goal stood.

Nearly six minutes into the third period, Pardubice drew within one off the rush, when Sedlák’s initial attempt was stopped but the puck sat right in front of the goal line for Jan Košťálek to poke in.

Once again, Pardubice found the net in the dying seconds and, once again, it needed video replay. However, this time, the ruling was no goal due to goaltender interference.