It's always a special game when domestic rivals clash in the Champions Hockey League, as the standard league dynamic tends to go out the window under the pressure of the knockout rounds of Europe's biggest club ice hockey competition and with Rögle Ängelholm and Skellefteå AIK going head to head, we are sure to be in for one epic series!
- Skellefteå finished 2nd in the Regular Season, only losing once
- Rögle on 3-3 record heading into series
- Years of domestic history between these two SHL teams
The two-game aggregate-scoring series will commence in the Catena Arena where Rögle have been perfect so far this season - in fact it's been the only place they've won! Heading into the game with three wins and three losses, the 2022 CHL Champions need to mainly up their scoring (13 goals for in six games) and boost their PP unit which has been operating at a very poor 6.25% - ouch.
Team of the Regular Season goaltender Calle Clang has given Rögle more than they could have hoped for in net and the Swedish side's blue line has also been sturdy - bar a rusty start to the season against HC Pilsen back on Game Day 1 - so upping the scoring and PP performance would give Rögle a fighting chance in this series against one of the strongest teams of the Regular Season.
Traditionally one of the premiere contenders in the CHL, reigning SHL champions Skellefteå have once again lived up to their fame so far this season. The past CHL Finalists and 10-time CHL Playoffs qualifiers are in fine form heading into this two-game test against Rögle, having lost just a single game against Europe's best over the course of the Regular Season.
Skellefteå have been doing some heavy hitting up front with two six-goal performances so far and are yet to score less than three in a game this season. Their PP has been strong (25.81%) as has their PK (82.61%) and overall, there's little to fault the Swedes on at this point.
Iconic D-man Jonathan Pudas has had his best-ever start to a CHL season with 2G and 6A heading into the Playoffs, while up front, the scoring has been pretty evenly distributed among Skellefteå's entire roster, adding to the image of their strong team unity and focus on the game plan.
However, this time last season in the Champions Hockey League, Skellefteå were sent packing out of the Round of 16 following two back-to-back losses to DEL side Pinguins Bremerhaven so nothing is impossible in the CHL Playoffs!
Skellefteå's effective and dominant play will be put directly to the test against Rögle's impeccable home form. Who will come out on top in the First Game?