With two spots in the IIHF Continental Cup final round at stake in both groups, host teams Vlci Žilina and the Aalborg Pirates took a step towards qualifying, as did the Cardiff Devils and GKS Katowice.
Group E (Žilina, Slovakia)
Cardiff Devils (GBR) 5 – Rittner Buam (ITA) 1 (2-0, 2-1, 1-0)
The Group E opener was a closer game than the score indicates, but two goals 33 seconds apart in the ninth minute got the Devils the early lead and they never relinquished it. An Ethan Szypula goal midway through the second period drew Ritten close, but the Welsh side quickly pulled away after that. Joey Martin paced the Devils with a goal and two assists, with Josh MacDonald and defenseman Gleason Fournier also recording two points each.
Arlan Kokshetau (KAZ) – Vlci Žilina (SVK) (1-2, 1-1, 1-0, 0-1)
Playing on home ice, Žilina dominated the early stages of the game and led 2-0 and 3-2, but ultimately needed an overtime goal by Daniel Gachulinec to get the extra point against Arlan from Kazakhstan. Samuel Fejes, Miroslav Mucha and Sebastian Šmída had three points each for the group host team. Arlan came back with a big push in the second half of the game, led offensively by two assists from Dmitri Arkhipov.
Group F (Aalborg, Denmark)
GKS Katowice (POL) 9 – CSM Corona Bracov (ROU) 2 (2-1, 3-1, 4-0)
Katowice opened Group F with a pretty clear victory. The score was tied 1-1 midway through the first period but a go-ahead goal by Jean Dupuy late in the first had the Polish team off to the races. In a rather balanced attack, Dupuy was the only player to score twice – he had three points, as did Bartosz Fraszko. Outshot 51-19, Zoltan Toke held his team in it for as long as he could, making 42 saves, but the floodgates opened in the last eight minutes with the last three goals.
Aalborg Pirates (DEN) - Brûleurs de Loups de Grenoble (FRA) (0-2, 3-0, 2-1)
The team from the French Alps had a dream start to the tournament in a group that figures to be close, taking a 2-0 lead over the group host. But the Pirates came back with a huge second period to take the lead. The last few minutes of the third period were back and forth, with Aalborg prevailing 5-3. Troy Lajeunesse, Jonas Brondberg and Joonas Niemela had two points each in a winning cause.