The Frölunda Indians have advanced to the Champions Hockey League Final for the fourth time in five years. On 5 February, they will host the title game for the second time.
The Indians lost the first CHL Final 4-2 in Lulea in 2014/15 after leading 2-0 heading into the third period. The following year, they once again headed north and faced Kärpät Oulu, this time winning 2-1. They repeated their title in 2016/17 at home in one of the most memorable games in CHL history, defeating Sparta Prague 4-3 in overtime.
Last season, they dominated their group and looked poised for another lengthy CHL run but stumbled in the Round of 16, blowing a lead at home and losing to Bílí Tygři Liberec in overtime. However, the team didn’t dwell on the defeat for too long.
“We’ve put that game way behind us,” Frölunda forward Ryan Lasch confidently said at the outset of this year’s CHL playoffs. “This is a new team and we only look forward.”
Round of 16 curse almost struck again
This season, Frölunda once again had little problem with the group stage, going 4-0-1-1 against ZSC Lions Zurich, the Vienna Capitals and Aalborg Pirates to top Group A and advance to the next round with points to spare. Then they drew HC Lugano in the Round of 16, and once again they were in tough. After a 1-1 tie in southern Switzerland, they fell behind by two goals in the return game on home ice before coming back to win, with Anders Grönlund scoring the tying goal and Lasch the winner on the powerplay late in the third period.
“Everyone knew how good of a team Lugano are, and it was no surprise that it went down to the wire,” defenceman Chay Genoway said later. “People forget about how close we came to being knocked out, and it's something we now have to take advantage of.”
It's a credit to the CHL that we were so close to going out of the competition.Chay Genoway
Frölunda had an easier time in the next two rounds against a pair of Czech teams, thumping Kometa Brno and HC Pilsen by aggregate scores of 10-2 and 9-4.
Despite the ease of victory, Lasch said of the Semi-Finals against Pilsen: “They were difficult games. They have a really top line that’s skilled and put the pressure on us, but we really focused on our game plan and what we wanted to do out there. We wanted to play really aggressive and I think we did that both games and the results went our way because of that.”
“It's a big deal for us here,” Genoway said between Semi-Final games, with his team holding a three-goal lead on aggregate. “We've been treating these CHL games like true playoff games. I think it's a credit to the CHL that we were so close to going out of the competition in the Round of 16 already.”
Stacked with talent, not just up top
Each year, Frölunda are known as one of the most dangerous teams offensively in Europe and this year is no different with a CHL-leading 47 goals in 12 games. With only 22 goals against their +25 goal difference is the greatest in the CHL by 10. Their specialty teams are especially proficient, with a powerplay at 27% and a penalty kill that’s 87.5% efficient, which are both in the top four and better than any other team that reached the Semi-Finals.
Lasch and Genoway are the CHL’s top two scorers this year with 21 and 15 points, respectively. Lasch has been especially adept at playmaking with 17 assists, although his goals have been timely as well.
Not only does he lead this year’s CHL scorers, but Lasch is the CHL’s all-time leader in goals (22), assists (46) and points (68). Second in all-time scoring is team captain Joel Lundqvist with 41 points, and Mats Rosseli-Olsen is tied for 10th with 26 points, which speaks of the team’s experience.
German teams cause problems
Looking ahead to the Final, Frölunda have never faced Red Bull Munich before, but they have encountered a few German clubs in the CHL. In 2015/16, they faced ERC Ingolstadt in the Round of 32 and lost 4-2 in the opening leg in Germany before rallying late to win 4-1 at home the following week and take the tie by a goal. The following year, they were in the same group as Grizzlys Wolfsburg and spit a pair of one-goal games, with each team winning on the road and both teams advancing. That same year, they faced Eisbären Berlin in the Round of 16 and won both games convincingly, 10-2 on aggregate.
“We take pride in this tournament,” Lasch said after Frölunda’s Semi-Final victory. “We’re happy that we’re able to head to the Final and host it too – that’s gonna be awesome.”