Read below for more information on the Quarter-Final series between SC Bern and Sparta Prague. Sparta won on aggregate 5-2 to advance to the Semi-Finals.
SCB 1–1 SPA
Game 1
7. 12., 19:45 CET
SPA 4–1 SCB
Game 2
13. 12., 18:30 CET
Preview
Two teams that made their respective league finals last year go head to head in the CHL Quarter-Finals, as Swiss champs SC Bern face Czech runners-up Sparta Prague. This year, Bern are once again fighting at the top, while Sparta have been inconsistent with hot and cold streaks and are stuck in the middle of the pack. For both teams this is the farthest they've ever gone in the CHL. In the past, Sparta were runners-up in European club championships in 2000 and 2008, but Bern are looking to crack the final four for the first time ever. In a match-up between two teams that have shown an ability for both timely scoring and rock-solid defence in the CHL, this could come down to which team is more disciplined and better able to adjust to unfamiliar opponents. In that way, Bern might have a slight edge, with head coach Kari Jalonen previously coaching several Sparta players.
Bern have not been beaten yet in this year's CHL with 6 wins and 2 draws, but due to the availability of their home arena, they will open the Quarter-Final at home as the lone CHL game on Wednesday, 7 December, despite being the higher seed.
Closer look: SC Bern
(6-0-2-0, 20 points, 30:14)
SC Bern did not make much of an impression in either of their first two CHL seasons, but coming off a domestic title win this past spring, they were looking for more this year and, so far they've done it. They began their group play with a pair of wins in Kosice and Linz by scores of 6-3 and 3-1 to take immediate control of their group. They didn't let up once they got home, beating the same two teams 3-1 and 5-0 at PostFinance Arena. They continued their hot streak in the Round of 32, winning 4-1 in Salzburg to take a 3-goal lead into the return game at home. There, a 3-3 tie in front of a CHL-record crowd was enough to put them through. In the Round of 16 they beat JYP Jyvaskyla 3-2 on home ice and a 3-3 draw in Finland in the return game was again enough to advance. Bern have been impressive in every aspect of their game in the CHL so far, and have yet to be beaten in eight games.
Marc
Arcobello
3+5, +4
Top Forward & CRAMO Top Scorer: With 30 goals in 8 games, SC Bern have scored more goals than any other team in the CHL this season, and have received offence from a variety of sources. Leading the way is Marc Arcobello with 8 points. Arcobello also leads domestically with 27 points in 23 NLA games, followed by Ryan Lasch – last season's CHL MVP and Top Scorer wth Frolunda. Lasch missed this year's group stage, but now has 5 points in four CHL games this season. Simon Bodenmann and Andrew Ebbett were the team's offensive leaders in the group stage but missed lots of time later with injuries. Both are now back in the lineup.
Eric
Blum
3+2, +3
Top Defenceman: Swiss international Eric Blum is once again the pillar for the Bern defence. With his intelligence and magnificent overview of the game, he had his best season offensively last year with 28 points (4+24) and was one of the team's key players in the championship run. The 30-year-old has also been one of the team’s best players so far this season, anchoring the team's stingy defence and chipping in a bit offensively as well. With a fit Blum in the lineup, SC Bern is much stronger.
Leonardo
Genoni
93.30 %
Top Goaltender: For 29-year-old Leonardo Genoni, this season is his first one in a Bern jersey. He came to the Swiss capital with a lot of accolades. A three-time Swiss Champion, the 2011 NLA MVP and two-time goalie of the year. With him, Bern bought some safe hands and legs in goal and he already showed his qualities in this young season. Hockey fans all over Europe saw what he is capable of last season when he backstopped HC Davos all the way to the CHL Semi-Finals. This season, he has appeared in every CHL and NLA game for Bern so far, making him the clear No. 1 in front of Joel Aebi.
Click here for team statistics.
Closer look: Sparta Prague
(3-1-2-2, 13 points, 25:15)
Sparta began the season by playing the first CHL game in Poland and spoiled the party with a 7-2 road win. Up next was Farjestad Karlstad on home ice, and the Swedish club struck twice in the third to win 2-1. In the return engagement with Cracovia, Sparta fired 65 shots on goal, but the game was tied 4-4 before a late power-play goal decided it in Sparta's favour. In their last game in Karlstad, Sparta needed a regulation win to take the group, but surrendered a last-minute equalizer. They won in overtime, but Farjestad's win over Cracovia in the last game dropped Sparta to second. In the Round of 32 against Karpat Oulu, defence was thought to be a concern, but the team gave up only 1 goal on 37 shots over more than 120 minutes of hockey, and won the series in overtime. Then in the Round of 16, they lost 4-2 at home to HV71 Jonkoping, but rallied to win 5-0 in Sweden to take the series on aggregate.
Lukas
Pech
5+3, +4
Top Forward & CRAMO Top Scorer: Lukas Pech leads the team offensively in the CHL with 8 points, and also domestically with 27 points in 22 Extraliga games. Tomas Netik led Sparta in scoring during the group stage, but due to a knee injury missed all four games against Karpat and HV71. Despite this, the 6 goals he scored still leads the whole CHL. His status against Bern is uncertain, but depth at forward is the team's main strength, with proven scorers such as Petr Vrana and captain Jaroslav Hlinka.
Michal
Cajkovsky
1+2, +2
Top Defenceman: Slovak Michal Cajkovsky has had a great start to the season so far, as it looks like he is continuing where he left off last season, when he collected 28 points in the Czech regular season. At the start of the season the team's defensive game was a mess, but the Round of 32, where the team allowed only 1 goal in total, was a real turning point. Now they are defensively strong domestically too, which has seen them rise in the Extraliga standings. That helped them stifle HV71 in the return leg, and that needs to continue against a potent Bern lineup.
Tomas
Popperle
91.59 %
Top Goaltender: In the CHL group stage and early in the Extraliga season goaltending was an area of concern for Sparta. However, in the Round of 32 against Karpat, Tomas Popperle was spectacular, stopping 36 of 37 shots over two games. In the Extraliga, the play of himself and backup Filip Novotny has improved notably as well, probably due in large part to the overall improvement of the team's defensive game. Novotny played both games against HV71 and both goalies have posted similar numbers in both the Extraliga and CHL.