Kometa Brno suffered their second consecutive loss after allowing three unanswered goals against SC Bern in a 5-3 decision. Ilves Tampere, however, remained perfect with a 3-0 win over Norwegian opponents Storhamar Hamar and have guaranteed themselves a place in the Playoffs.

Bern opened the scoring 8:16 into the tilt, but the Czechs responded with a powerplay tally near the end of the initial stanza. Kometa eventually took a 3-2 lead when Adam Boltvan snuck one by Sandro Zurkirchen. But a lack of defensive effort spoiled what could have been their third win as the Swiss secured the equaliser with less than five minutes to go in the second and added two more in the final frame. 

Despite the disappointing loss, Kometa have positioned themselves as a competent and competitive team, having scored 17 goals through four games played. Their knack at finding the net is best illustrated in their being tied with EV Zug for most Goals For with 4.25 per game. This is the good news. On the other hand, the Czechs have also allowed 14 goals. Sprucing up the backend is a must as they prepare to face an Ilves team that's potting 3.75 goals per game.

After bowing out of the competition in the Regular Season last year, Ilves have cemented themselves as one of the teams to beat in this iteration of the pan-European competition. After squeaking out a 2-1 win against Red Bull Salzburg, the Finns put on a defensive clinic against Storhamar, blanking their opponents while netting three of their own.

Through four games, Ilves are at or among the top 10 in every category, but one area that needs fixing is the man-advantage. Of the 15 goals they've scored, only three have come on the powerplay. If they can boost their dynamism with the extra attacker, this team could easily be a favourite for the European Trophy moving forward.