The playoffs are finally underway in the 2019/20 Champions Hockey League season and it was an all Swedish affair as Färjestad Karlstad hosted the reigning champions Frölunda Indians at the Löfbergs Arena.

It didn’t take long for the first goal to come. Just 31 seconds into the game, Marcus Nilsson opened the scoring for the hosts, with his third goal of the competition, after a nice bit of work in the corner by Sebastian Erixon to set up the goal. Late in the period, Färjestad doubled their advantage. They forced a good save from Niklas Rubin, but as the puck sprung loose, and Victor Ejdsell was the first to react, swinging his stick towards the puck, and directing it into the back of the net, but there weren’t done there as Daniel Viksten added a third, capitalising on a turnover before firing the puck across the line with 67 seconds left in the period.

Down by three heading into the second, and starting with a powerplay, Frölunda needed to find a response but they couldn’t capitalise, as a turnover behind the goalline set up Färjestad’s fourth from Per Åslund, who put the puck above the blocker of Rubin for a shorthanded goal, and a fifth wasn’t too far behind as Ejdsell netted his second, firing from the circle and going short side on the goalie, prompting a change in net for Frölunda. Finally the reigning champions found the back of the net, Joel Mustonen scored his first of the CHL campaign with a lovely backhand effort after a great pass from Max Friberg to make it 5-1 heading into the final period.

Frölunda started the third strongly, and eventually grabbed a second through Ryan Lasch, but that was quickly cancelled out as Per Åslund grabbed a second, with a lovely backhand effort to go up 6-2. The visitors managed to grab another before the game was done through David Printz, but with no further goals coming in the first leg, it sent the two teams into the second leg with Färjestad ahead 6-3.