It's been a hell of a journey to the 2023/24 Semi-Finals for Skellefteå. After a very solid 5th-place finish in the Regular Season, the Swedes clashed with Czech side Oceláři Třinec in the Round of 16 but fell 4-3 in the First Game. A goal down, nine-time CHL qualifiers Skellefteå turned their fortunes around and moved on to the Quarter-Finals for the fourth time in their CHL history.

An extra special Semi-Finals match-up against a familiar domestic rival, Färjestad Karlstad, once again saw them playing catch up heading into the Return Game but another mighty 60-minute performance pushed them into the final four of the season.

Resilience. That's been the biggest takeaway from Skellefteå's game this season. This team has been around the block and know what to expect from a CHL game - when a game isn't going their way, they pull together and weather the storm, ready to strike when the opportunity arises.

Apart from the usual head-to-head stats, here are a few nuggets: Linus Lindström is Skellefteå’s top scorer in the CHL this season with ten points (5G,5A), while nobody else on the team has more than Pär Lindholm’s eight (3G,5A). Alongside Dylan Sikura, these three are the only players on the roster to be averaging more than a point per game.

Most players have a point or more this season, proving that scoring has come from up and down the line-up.

There's been a recent shake-up in net over the holidays with David Rautio, Skellefteå’s go-to CHL goalie, being loaned to Luleå Hockey for two weeks which will see him out of action for the First Game. However, there's nothing to worry about as Gustaf Lindvall is back in action and ready to shoulder his share of the goalie duties for the Swedes in the meantime. 

Czech side Vítkovice Ridera have been on a roller coaster ride that seems to be stuck in gear this season! Not many expected Vítkovice in the Quarter-Finals but now that they're in the Final Four, they can really turn around and tell everyone: "I told you so!".

After a ninth-place finish in the Regular Season, the Ostrava-based team faced the Lahti Pelicans in the Round of 16. An ice surface issue during the First Game in Finland resulted in a three-goal forfeit win for the Czechs which, combined with a 1-1 Return Game, pushed them onto the Quarter-Finals where they faced the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers.

A tense First Game ended 2-1 for the Swiss team meaning Vítkovice headed into the Return Game a goal down. However, a third-minute goal against set the Czechs two goals back but an astonishing comeback saw them smash five into Rapperswil's net to win the series and move on to the SFs for the very first time. 

29.41 PP% - that's the number you need to focus on because it hides the key to Vítkovice's unheard-of success (remember, this club had a disastrous start to the new Czech Extraliga season and were bottom of the league standings for many weeks). Vítkovice have been lethal on the man-advantage and equally as good while a man down (successfully killing off over 82% of powerplays against).

Also, don't underestimate their home-ice advantage - Vítkovice are unbeaten at home so far this season!

Superstar captain Dominik Lakatoš deserves a special mention. With 11 points (6G,5A), two game-winning goals and three powerplay goals, it's clear he's been the engine of this team while goaltending tandem Matěj Machovský & Lukáš Klimeš have both been superb in net. Both goalies have a 90+% save percentage in five and four games respectively and whoever mans the net in the Semi-Finals, Vítkovice will be in capable hands.

This is a clash of two teams on fire. They've both come back late into Playoffs games and have a lot to prove - in Skellefteå's case, it's the fact they've never made the Final in seven past CHL seasons, in Vítkovice's case, it's the fact that they had such a poor start domestically (though their luck has slowly but surely been changing). Don't miss this SFs match-up!