Third time unlucky

Dinamo Riga fell just short in a bid to become the third successive KHL team to lift the Spengler Cup. The Latvian side went down 3-2 in the final against hosts HK Davos in Switzerland. A sluggish start cost Dinamo in the final, and Davos opened up a 2-0 lead inside 11 minutes. Although Jamie Lundmark pulled a goal back early in the second, Riga could not recover the deficit and a last-gasp strike from Niclas Lucenius was too little too late.

Earlier in the Swiss showcase event, Dinamo had shown some impressive form. The side comfortably marched through the group stage, thrashing Kloten Flyers 9-2 and seeing off Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg 3-1. A second meeting with the Germans in the semi-final saw Riga overturn a 1-0 deficit with Martins Karsums scoring twice in a 4-1 win.

Although Dinamo could not prevent Davos winning the trophy for the 15th time, there was some consolation for Roberts Bukarts, who was the tournament's top pointscorer with 2+4=6. Karsums and Girts Ankipans scored three goals each for a share of second place among the most prolific marksmen, while Sandis Ozolins made it into the tournament's all-star team.

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