- Turku outshot Wolfsburg 36-14
- Wolfsburg qualify for Playoffs
- The Finns were plagued with missed opportunities
Grizzlys Wolfsburg scored one in the first, one in the second, and two in the third to defeat TPS Turku by a 4-1 final and earn a berth in the Round of 16.
The hosts did everything right in the initial stanza but it was the visitors who got on the board first with an easy tap-in by Valentino Klos. A quick outlet pass from Ryan Button led to a 2-on-1 for the Germans as Jean-Christophe Beaudin saucered the puck to Klos who tipped it backdoor past Lassi Lehtinen at 14:35 to open the scoring.
Turku continued to occupy the offensive zone for long stretches but failed to convert, with the shot totals reading 12-4 in favour of the Finns after period one.
11 seconds into the second the German side's powerplay made its debut. Wolfsburg would use the man-advantage to increase their advantage over Turku when Dustin Jeffrey manufactured his second of the season on another tip-in in front to give his team some insurance.
With seven minutes left to go in the second period, it would appear as if Turku had cut their deficit in half, but upon review it was determined there was a distinct kicking motion.
Late in the second, the home side continued to outshoot and outchance their opponents, even holding a 26-8 shot advantage, but Dustin Strahlmeier stood tall to keep his team ahead by two after two.
Period three began as period two when the Germans went on an early powerplay and converted again to increase their lead to 3-0. Jordan Murray let one fly from the point that sailed through traffic and into the Finnish net.
With their season on the line, Turku pulled the goalie for the extra attacker with five minutes still to play and were eventually awarded their fifth powerplay which led to their first goal from Teemu Kivihalme.
Unfortunately for the Finns, however, their tally would be too little too late as Dominik Bittner would cash in on the empty-netter, ensuring the German team a victory and a place in the Playoffs.