"We want to advance in this tournament" - Rögle's Anton Bengtsson

Rögle Ängelholm beat Tappara Tampere for the second time in a row this week to take a one-goal lead into the Return Game of their Quarter-Finals series in the Champions Hockey League.

The Swedes scored three in the first half of the game before a third-period comeback by the reigning Liiga champions seriously threatened their win, but they held off the Finns.

The 2022 CHL Champions wasted no time in getting into the game - just over two minutes in, Oskar Pettersson broke to deadlock to score the first goal of the game, before Linus Sandin added the second only a couple of minutes later.

By the midway point of the game, Rögle were 3-0 up, thanks to an Oskar Stål Lyrenäs goal in the second period.

"We played two great periods" Rögle's Anton Bengtsson

"I think we played a good game overall," summarised Anton Bengtsson after the game, "we played two great periods and headed into the third period with a three-goal lead."

"Then I think we stopped playing like we did before, they stepped up their game too and scored on their chances, but we have a 3-2 lead going into the Return Game."

Tappara, who were out of the game up to this point, upped the pressure, scoring two goals in four minutes to get within one goal of tying the series. But the 2022 CHL Champions were able to hold back the Finns to maintain their one-goal lead in the series.

Rögle celebrating a goal (Photo: Andreas Ljunggren)

"I think the main issue was us playing a little sloppy," analysed Bengtsson, "but a hockey game can change fast -
you have to play 60 minutes of good hockey to keep the score. This game we were good for only 40 minutes."

Tappara and Rögle faced each other in last season's CHL Final, Rögle won the game 2-1 to lift their first piece of major silverware. How was it facing Tappara again?

"We know how they want play their game and that experience is important to us," he said, "now we are going to Finland and we are going to try to win that game too."

"We want to advance in this tournament," ended Bengtsson.

Tappara will host Rögle in the Nokia Arena on Tuesday, 13 December at 17:35 CET for the Return Game.