By the metrics, the match-up between Jukurit Mikkeli and Fribourg-Gottéron was every bit as advertised with both squads knotted at 1-1 on aggregate following their Champions Hockey League Round of 16 First Game. The Finns had an Expected Goals average of 1.42 while the Swiss had 1.35; meanwhile, the hosts had a 51% Expected Win percentage compared to Fribourg’s 49%.
All in all, both challengers came into the night’s affair with an equally sound chance of pulling off the victory and the result is indicative of that.
But for all the stats can show about a game, they cannot convey the feeling that comes with playing in the CHL, and for Jukurit's Quinton Howden who is experiencing his first taste of the pan-European competition, this game was something else, something fun.
I think we did some really good things tonight.Jukurit Mikkeli's Quinton Howden
“It was good, it was fun. Obviously, it’s different when you get to play against a team from a different league, but yeah, it was a lot of fun,” he said.
The 28-year-old former first-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft is just beginning his career with Jukurit after playing 45 games with Kölner Haie in the DEL where he compiled 18 points (7G, 11A). With his fresh start in Finnish hockey, Howden admitted that he still has, “to get used to the guys and the style of play,” but it’s something that he’s, “looking forward to.”
And while the Canadian didn’t find himself on the scoresheet, he did appreciate the pace of the game and the way both clubs competed.
“I think both teams went back and forth and had good opportunities and I think it was a good game,” he explained.
Howden was also quick to recognise that there were things his club can continue to do to have success in the future, saying, “we can watch some video, talk about it again and get back out there.” But thinking back on the results and his team’s effort, he believed they, “did some really good things tonight” and moving forward, they have “lots of stuff to build off of.”