Färjestad Wins Fifth Straight As Champions Hockey League Returns

After three weeks of domestic league play, the Champions Hockey League returned to action on Tuesday with six games. The biggest games of the day saw a late comeback by Red Bull Salzburg to beat the Växjö Lakers, David Tomášek lead Färjestad Karlstad to a fifth straight victory with a hat trick in a 3-2 overtime win over five-time-running Czech champion Oceláři Třinec, and Rudolfs Balcers net the shootout winner for the ZSC Lions over the Sheffield Steelers.

Salzburg, Färjestad and Zurich all qualified for the CHL playoffs by winning on Tuesday.

SønderjyskE Vojens (DEN) 1 – Tappara Tampere (FIN) 7

The Danish team got an early goal from Gustav Nielsen but after that it was all Tappara. Hugo Gallet scored twice and Otto Somppi had three points for the three-time defending Finnish champs, who picked up surprisingly only their second win of this CHL campaign.

Växjö Lakers (SWE) 1 – Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) 3

Växjö led 1-0 halfway through the third period but visiting Salzburg scored three times in the last 10 minutes, including two on a late power play to break the tie. Austrian national team forward Peter Schneider had a power-play goal and assist to seal a playoff spot for the victors.

Skellefteå AIK (SWE) 4 – Fehérvár AV19 (HUN) 2

Skellefteå scored twice in the first 13 minutes and that was the margin of victory against still-winless Fehérvár. Skellefteå got goals from four different scorers and two assists from defenseman Jonathan Pudas, and now have three wins in five games.

Färjestad Karlstad (SWE) 3 – Oceláři Třinec (CZE) 2 [OT]

Playing against a Czech team, David Tomášek – Färjestad’s Czech winger – scored all of his team’s goals. His first two gave his team a 2-0 lead but Třinec scored twice in the last five minutes to force overtime, where Tomášek completed his hat trick on the power play. While Färjestad dropped its first point, the Swedish team remains first in the standings.

Fribourg-Gottéron (SUI) 9 – Eisbären Berlin (GER) 3

Jan Dorthe scored the game’s first two goals and had a hat trick by its midpoint and Christoph Bertschy had six points in a surprisingly one-sided win for Fribourg. Berlin got two goals from Blaine Byron and, despite the heavy loss, remains in a playoff position with eight points.

ZSC Lions Zurich (SUI) 2 – Sheffield Steelers (GBR) 1 [SO]

In a matchup of two teams trying to secure a playoff spot, Rudolf Balcers and Daniel Leavens scored in regulation time but Šimon Hrubec and Matthew Greenfield were otherwise perfect in net. In the shootout, Balcers scored twice more for the Lions, including the winner in the sixth round.

Wednesday’s schedule:

Dynamo Pardubice (CZE) – Lahti Pelicans (FIN)
Unia Oświęcim (POL) – Straubing Tigers (GER)
Sparta Prague (CZE) – Pinguins Bremerhaven (GER)
Genève-Servette (SUI) – KAC Klagenfurt (AUT)
Lausanne HC (SUI) – Storhamar Dragons (NOR)
Rouen Dragons (FRA) – Ilves Tampere (FIN)

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