Davos has had a perfect start to its own tournament and beat Russian contenders Spartak Moscow 4:2.

The Russians paid the highest possible price when two of their players were in the penalty box: When both Fedorov and Ruzicka were suspended for two minutes, HC Davos started its game-winning offensive in the 48th minute. Petr Sykora, the Swiss National League's top scorer, hit a hard and precise shot into the Russian net. And before Spartak could recover from this shock, Petr Taticek, another Czech player on the Davos side, scored the decisive goal and made the score 4:2 (54.).

HC Davos set the pace from the first period and Spartak couldn't develop their own game. The home side, led by an excellent Reto von Arx, made full use of their qualities, whereas the KHL club started to show some of its best hockey only later in the evening, when the game had already progressed into the second period. Just when they were shorthanded, Spartak found their way out of a tight spot: A moment of Davos inattentiveness was enough for Stefan Ruzicka to score a shorthanded goal and make the score 1:2. The Slovak's goal (27.) gave the Russians a clear boost.

And when the rather pedantic referees called another penalty against Davos, Knyazev accepted this offer gladly. It was to their own disadvantage, however, that the Moscovites reduced the pace again immediately after scoring the equalizer to tie the game at 2:2. Throughout the whole match, Spartak never managed to put real pressure on their opponents, and everyone would have expected them to put up some more resistance in their first Spengler Cup game this year.

HC Davos - Spartak Moscow 4:2 (2:0, 0:2, 2:0)

Vaillant-Arena. - 6432 spectators (sold out). - Referees Hebert (Ka)/Kurmann, Losier (Ka)/Müller.

Goals: 6. Reto von Arx (Guggisberg, Taticek) 1:0. 10. Reto von Arx (Taticek/penalty called) 2:0. 27. Ruzicka (Radivojevic, Zheldakov/penalty Selesnev!) 2:1. 32. Knyazev (Ryazanov, Lapenkov) 2:2. 48. Sykora (Forster, Reto von Arx/penalties Fedorov, Ruzicka) 3:2. 54. Taticek (Guggisberg, Reto von Arx) 4:2.

Penalties: 6 x 2 minutes against Davos, 8 x 2 minutes against Spartak.
HC Davos: Genoni; Jan von Arx, Forster; Cook, Kutlak; Ramholt, Grossmann; Back; Guggisberg, Reto von Arx, Taticek; Bednar, Marha, Sykora; Sejna, Rizzi, Duca; Sciaroni, Steinmann, Dino Wieser; Joggi.

Spartak: Yakhin; Vishnevsky, Piganovich; Zheldakov, Baranka; Budkin, Bodrov; Ryazanov, Selesnev; Suglobov, Lapenkov, Shkotov; Radivojevic, Mikush, Ruzicka; Sidyakin, Fedorov, Knyazev; Lyuduchin, Mikhail Yunkov, Alexander Yunkov.
Notes: HCD without Stoop, Tallarini, Marc Wieser (surplus players), Untersander, Guerra, Giovannini (all U20 World Championships). 40. (39:06) goal Taticek not given (hand pass Duca). (Si / Translated by Sabine Schweizer)