As Europe stops to take stock during the February international break, the CHL final also comes to town. How are things looking in Europe’s top leagues as another month ticks off the calendar? Let’s find out!
by Luke Fisher
Austria
The regular season in the EBEL is now over, with the league splitting in two; the top six teams are automatically in the playoffs, and now play for ranking position. Salzburg, who ended the season in first place, receive four bonus points for having done so, Linz in second get three, Villach in third take two, and fourth-placed Vienna get one. Znojmo and Szekesfehervar start the next round without any bonuses. The same logic then applies to the bottom six teams, with Bolzano, KAC, Graz, and Dornbirn taking bonus points from four to one. Innsbruck and Ljubljana start from scratch, as these teams battle for just two places in the post-season proper. Games are one home, one away, against each team in a team’s own ‘group’, and start on 10 February.
Czech Republic
Třinec march on at the top of the Extraliga, extending their lead now up to 14 points. The race for second sees Sparta Prague and Kometa Brno cutting back the deficit on Litvínov to four points, with a gap of seven down to Mountfield Hradec Králové in fifth. The league resumes on 11 February following the break, for the final eight rounds.
Denmark
Two losses for Odense in as many days sees the Bulldogs drop down to second place in the Metal Ligaen, usurped by Herning, who themselves could only manage an overtime loss in their last game. Frederikshavn have also slipped down from third after a surprise loss in Aalborg, allowing SønderjyskE Vojens – who were one of the teams to beat Odense over the weekend – to climb into third. The top four now sit comfortably ahead of the rest of the league, clear by some 13 points.
Finland
The Liiga has two games taking place this week before pausing for the international break, and then restarting already on 9 February. A couple more wins have kept Kärpät Oulu in top spot, with JYP remaining seven points behind. Due, in part, to their CHL commitments, Oulu have played three games less than the rest of the top four, meaning they could pull further away as they catch up in games played. IFK Helsinki drop a point behind JYP after the last games, with KalPa and Lukko both three points further behind. Tappara continue to occupy the last automatic playoff place, although by just a point over Ässät and Espoo – with the former having played a game less.
France
Grenoble have extended their lead at the top of the Ligue Magnus to three points now, with Gap and Rouen both chasing hard in joint second place. With only two rounds left in the regular season, a lot will ride on the meeting between Gap and Grenoble on 10 February, when the league resumes after the international break. Rouen are still unbeaten at home in the league, and have just one more game to get through to preserve the record for the entire regular season! Briançon, who languished in the lower half for much of the season, have risen to fifth.
Germany
The derby game between Düsseldorf and Kölner Haie saw DEG take the win in their opponent’s back yard, 3–1, and also helped them with a four-point cushion over Berlin to stay sixth. At the top, Mannheim’s 10-point lead has been cut back to seven after the Adler lost at home to Hamburg who, after a terrible start to the season and firing their coach early on, are fourth. Munich could have eaten in to the Adler’s lead further, but lost 4–0 to second-last Straubing, whilst wins for Inglostadt and Iserlohn keep both clubs in the top five.
Great Britain
Two huge wins for the Nottingham Panthers over the Belfast Giants have seen the lace-city side climb up to second. The win in Belfast was in a shootout, but Sunday’s home-ice victory was by a 1–0 score with the only goal coming just 49 seconds from the end! All of this means that the Panthers trail Braehead by just a point, but having played a game less. Sheffield are three points behind the Clan, but have played two games fewer, whilst Belfast now sit five points adrift having played the same number of times. The fifth-placed Cardiff Devils are only a point behind their Northern-Irish opponents, with two games in hand still.
Norway
Stavanger stay five points clear at the top of the GET Ligaen, however Storhamar will be disappointed in losing at home to Lillehammer on the same day as the Oilers went down in Sarpsborg, and were therefore unable to cut the gap further. The Dragons are four points clear in second, with two points separating third and fourth placed Lørenskog and Frisk respectively. Konsvinger, who sit last, still only have one regulation win to their name after 38 matches.
Slovakia
With the schedule only carrying on until the end of this month, the D is nigh for the regular season in the Extraliga. Košice have now gone seven points clear over Banská Bystrica, with Zvolen making up a point to now only sit four further behind. Poprad and Nitra tie for fourth place, meanwhile sixth-placed Trenčín find themselves 16 points further back, and 15 ahead of the teams below them.
Sweden
Frölunda will go into the CHL final this week having slipped to third, after Växjö moved level on points with the Gothenburg club during the last round of matches. They both trail leaders Skellefteå by 16 points, and sit just a point ahead of HV71. Luleå go into the game sitting eighth in the SHL, three points behind Färjestad but now two ahead of Djurgarden below them. For both sides, an early trophy will be welcome!
Switzerland
SC Bern still league the NLA, but the lead is now down to three points – and all teams in the top six have now played the same number of games. ZSC overcame Davos in the last round of penalty shots after three periods plus overtime failed to yield a single goal! Zug and Davos are tied in third, six points behind the Lions, with Lugano two further back. Games resume in Switzerland on 10 February.