The Round of 16 saw Finnish contenders Lukko Rauma end any hopes of an Austrian team’s appearance in the CHL Quarter-Finals. A 4-3 win on aggregate, including a tied First Game, and a 2-1 win in OT against HC Innsbruck was enough to edge out the ICE-HL club.

Although the final score was a razor-thin one-goal margin, a closer look at Lukko’s game reveals some insights about this team who are making their third Quarter-Finals appearance since their CHL debut back in 2014/15.  

Credit to the defensive efforts of Innsbruck, including netminder Evan Buitenhuis who faced an onslaught of shots, because the Finns were prolific in their offence, 96 shots overall, including 47 shots on goal were an important factor in wearing down their rivals. That old saying “pucks to the net” rang true for this team who let rip 32 attempts from the mid and high-danger areas compared to just four from Innsbruck. 

25-year-old blueliner Tarmo Reunanen, who is in his first season with Lukko, leads his side for time on ice and is averaging 20:46 minutes per game. He’s been exceptionally productive, netting seven points (4G+3A) over seven appearances, including the last game-winner in OT. 

Another vital cog in the offence of the Finns has been forward Sebastian Repo who has potted eight points (4G+4A) over seven games, while teammate Brayden Burke has collected seven points (4G+3A) over six games. 

Ranked eighth among goalkeepers, Daniel Lebedeff has been the go-to netminder for his side bringing home five wins. He’s made 128 saves and given up nine goals to achieve a 93.43% save average. 

The path for Czech Extraliga side Dynamo Pardubice unfolded in an entirely different manner. They won their First Game 3-1 against Ilves Tampere and took a two-goal buffer into their Return Game which would ultimately end in a tie.  

Their successful qualification for the Quarter-Finals represents a new page in the history books for Pardubice, who to date have only gone as far as participating in the Group Stage. After besting Ilves, the Czechs now face a new Finnish foe in contenders Lukko Rauma. 

Much like their new Finnish rivals, Pardubice were offense-heavy during their last game, slugging 70 shots over the evening including 36 on net, but where they really separated themselves from Ilves was on special teams. The side from Czechia converted 25% of their man-advantage minutes, and their penalty kill was flawless.  

Pardubice didn’t just outshoot their rivals, they shot where it counts: 26 attempts came from the high and mid-danger areas compared to 17 from Ilves. 

Much like their First Game, where Pardubice’s offensive damage was managed solely by its second line on the night. The Return Game showcased another line, with Adam Musil (2G+1A) and Martin Kaut (2G+2A) who each found twine to ultimately preserve the two-goal buffer, and secure safe passage to the next stage of the Playoffs. 

The leading blueliner is Slovakian Peter Čerešňák with seven points (7A) in seven games. The 191cm defenceman who is in his first season with Pardubice is clocking the most minutes of any player on his team with 21:55 minutes. Teammate Tomáš Hyka remains the top forward, amassing seven points (1G+6A). In the crease Roman Will, who is ranked 11th among goaltenders, has made 93 saves and given up seven goals in total, to bring his save average to 93%.  

On special teams, Lukko have been slightly better defensively, their PK rates at 85.19% compared to Pardubice’s 82.86%, but the Czechs reign supreme in two other domains: on the dots, they’re winning 55.58% of their face-offs (compared to Lukko's 49.87%), and on the PP they’re converting 21.88% of their chances to the Finns 13.33%. 

Given both teams are averaging just over three goals per game, and a tad over two goals against per game, the two sides couldn’t be more closely matched. In a game that could go either way, special teams are going to be one major separator here!