Oulu’s Kärppie ice hockey Spengler Cup ended with a 3-4 loss to the tournament host HC Davos in the quarter-finals.
Kärppie’s upward play did not bring a final reward on Sunday, when Ville Mäntymaan after a solid performance, the proteges succumbed to a 3-4 loss to HC Davos. The Oulu team took the shots in the fight 34–27 and was close to equalizing at the end of the match.
Kärpät had previously lost in the traditional hockey tournament to Fribourg, 4–6, and in the second game of the first group, they beat the Czech Dynamo Pardubice 3–2 in overtime.
Davos jumped out to a three-goal lead in Sunday’s quarterfinals right at the beginning of the second period, but Kärpät rallied after that.
Julius Hermonen reduced to 1–3 with understrength and two goals Patrik Virta knocked out with superiority in the second set of a 2–4 tie and in the third set of a 3–4 tie. SCL Tigers loan striker Saku Mäenalanen passed Kärppien’s first two hits.
Defender of the first chain of Davos Nico Gross received a 5+20-minute suspension at the end of the second set for a tackle on the head in 37.09. Teemu Turunen a snappy goal attempt hit the post in the closing seconds of the second period.
Tomi Karhunen was substituted after four setbacks, and saved the last match with a goal Niclas Westerholm. However, the setbacks did not go to Karhusen, instead the change of goalkeeper served mainly as a wake-up call.
Finnish forward playing on loan in Davos for the duration of the Spengler Cup Oula Palve completed the home team’s third goal, which was his second success in the tournament. Adam Tambellini and Enzo Corvi netted Davos the power of 1+1.
In Monday’s semi-finals, the Canadian national team will face Germany’s Straubing Tigers and Switzerland’s Fribourg-Gottéron Davos.