As the CHL rolls toward its playoffs, the European domestic leagues motor on. There were five lead changes in the top 11 leagues this past week, while Stavanger, Košice, Třinec, Lukko, Vienna and Mannheim remain in first place.
by Luke Fisher
Austria
The Vienna Capitals remain clear out in front of the EBEL after two wins last weekend – a 6–1 demolition of Innsbruck followed by a 3–2 shootout win over Linz. Red Bull Salzburg also easily got past Innsbruck and won in Dornbirn, to trail the Capitals by five points (with a game in hand). With those two founding CHL members in the top two places, Graz and Linz would qualify for next season’s competition based on current rankings. HC Bolzano got themselves a four-point weekend to climb up the middle of the pack, while Villach SV took four of six points with a win an an overtime loss. Having been branded a “club in crisis”, Villach badly need to start climbing in the standings.
Czech Republic
Oceláři Třinec’s six-point lead is now down to just one point, with Litvinov chasing hard. The leaders went down in Olomouc and at home to Litvinov to see their lead cut drastically. Two points behind are Sparta Prague, who also posted two wins on the weekend against Mountfield Hradec Králové and BK Mladá Boleslav respectively. PSG Zlín’s losses to Kometa Brno and HC Olomouc, combined with other results, extended their gap from the rest of the league to three points at the bottom.
Denmark
Sønderjyske Vojens’s 3–2 overtime loss in Odense, coupled with a home win over Unibet Stars Gentofte, now sees them two points clear at the top of Denmark’s Metal Ligaen – replacing Blue Fox Herning. That said, the Foxes have played one game less.
France
A 3–2 loss regulation loss to Gap sees the Briançon Diables Rouges in lowly 11th place in the French top league. Charmonix and Dijon have caught up with early leaders Strasbourg, with all three teams now tied with 11 points after seven games.
Germany
Adler Mannheim's lead atop of the DEL has been cut by a point to five, after the leaders lost in Hamburg to a rejuvenated Freezers squad. Mannheim then bounced back with a home win over Krefeld Pinguine, while second-place Red Bull Munich lost to Kölner Haie in overtime, and then beat ERC Inglostadt on home ice. Köln went on to win their first game with their new coach with a 6–3 win in Schwennig, but they still remain four points adrift of the pack in second-last place. Hamburg are up to third following recent wins, while CHL sides Ingolstadt, Berlin Capitals, and Krefeld sit sixth, ninth and 10th respectively.
Finland
Lukko Rauma continue to extend their lead at the top of Liiga, with the cushion now sitting at four points – up one. That lead increase is despite two regulation losses, although they returned to a positive streak by beating IFK Helsinki on home ice 6–2. KalPa Kuopio four points back, having narrowly edged out the Espoo Blues 1–0. Then comes HPK, five points off the lead, followed by three teams with 29 points – JYP Jyväskylä, Tappara Tampere and Kärpät Oulu. CHL teams continue to occupy eight of the top nine places in Finland as the teams approach the 20-game mark.
Great Britain
Two wins over Edinburg were enough to move Braehead four points clear at the top of the Elite League, helped by the Belfast Giants losing at home in overtime to the Nottingham Panthers. Nottingham got another overtime win, this time over Dundee, to sit in fifth place – however, they have a couple of games in hand on the teams above them.
Norway
The Stavanger Oilers preserved their five-point lead at the top of Norway’s GET-Ligaen with wins over Lillehammer and Stjernen. Sarpsborg are now clear in second, three points above Lorenskog, who dropped to third. A much-needed win for Valerenga Oslo sees them in seventh place, but already 18 points off top spot.
Slovakia
HC Košice have extended their lead at the top to six points thanks to wins against Žilina, Poprad, and and Skalica. Poprad continue to sit in second, and have moved a further point clear of Zloven, who trail by five points in third. Dukla Trenčín, who sit sixth, have a gap of seven points over Piest’any, leaving a clear top six in Slovakia.
Sweden
HV71 Jönköping’s climb up the SHL ladder has seen them reach top spot, now sitting with a one-point lead over both Frölunda Gothenburg and Skellefteå AIK. A win over the latter, plus victory against Brynäs Gävle, moved them into top spot. While HV71 rode the crest of a wave, Frölunda’s 6–0 demolition of Djurgården Stockholm was only followed up by a loss and an overtime win. Skellefteå, for their part, got back to winning ways over Leksland. A shootout loss, and two further defeats in regulation time, sees Färjestad Karlstad still second-last.
Switzerland
A loss in Bern was enough to knock ZSC Lions Zurich out of top spot, despite them bouncing back to beat Geneve-Servette on home ice. New leaders HC Davos are a point clear, having played a game less, thanks to wins over Ambri-Piotta and The Rapperswil-Jona Lakers – although they did lose 3–2 in Lausanne in their most recent game. Zurich have a five-point cushion over both Bern and Lugano who sit beneath them, although the chasing teams could each cut the gap by winning their game in hand. A couple of wins for the Kloten Flyers have moved them up to ninth, with Fribourg now tied for last with 11 points.