Sweden-based clubs Frölunda Gothenburg and Leksands IF begin their Quarter-Finals battle from Tegera Arena as both clubs look to continue their journey on into January.

A 14-2 aggregate score saw the reigning Champions qualify for their third straight Quarter-Finals appearance and the club has every reason to believe they can continue on to the next leg of the competition after riding one of the most capable offences in the CHL, averaging 4.38 goals per game (2nd in the CHL) and a 34.29 powerplay percentage (4th in the CHL). They’ve also accrued the most goals with 35. The onus, therefore, lies on Leksand to stifle Frolunda’s chances by mitigating their impact on 5-on-5 and special teams play.

This begins and ends with the driving force of Frolunda’s offence – Ryan Lasch. The veteran forward has picked up two tallies and 12 helpers for a league-leading 14 points through eight games. In their Round of 16 clash with Adler Mannheim, Lasch reached the 100-point plateau becoming the first player to do so in CHL history. Leksand’s offence runs through another American forward, Justin Kloos, whose one goal and nine assists give him 10 points through eight contests. Leksand also have help on the backend in the form of offensive-defenceman Matt Caito who was instrumental in their comeback win over KAC Klagenfurt.

Playing in both clubs' favour is the fact that this series will be one where the teams are all-too-familiar with one another. Being both from the SHL, there are no surprises as the two have a history of facing each other. According to Leksand Head Coach, Björn Hellkvist, “Frölunda is a team that we know well from the national league, and we have a good record against them throughout the years.” This should inspire confidence in a squad that, for all intents and purposes, is likely the underdog coming into the contest.

As we get set for Quarter-Finals action between the Swedes, look for a tight-checking game with limited ice and fast, sweeping stretches of play with both teams preferring a complete 60 metre game.