With a slender lead to take back to home ice, Lukko Rauma know that avoiding defeat will see them into the quarter-finals of the CHL again. However, the visitors have been preparing well according to their coach. "It will be interesting to see if we can make a better game. Since the game last week, we have been training very well. Lukko Rauma is a very good team but we still have a good chance to advance," said Hans Sarkijarvi of Djurgarden.

 

Sparta Prague provided one of the shocks of last week's games, when they beat Karpat at O2 Arena. Having only conceded one goal in six previous CHL games, Karpat let in four in the Czech capital and have a mini-mountain to climb back in their own rink. It's also a game that Sparta are not taking lightly. "I flew back home from the Karjala Cup on Sunday so I could be with the team on Monday and prepare for the game against Karpat," said Jan Buchtele. "It will be a tough one, but we’re in a good position and we want to advance."

 

Having lost the first game 5-2 at home, the only remaining German team in this season's CHL have a tough job ahead of themselves tonight in Sweden. Die Eisbaren will need to win the game by three just to force overtime, and meet a Skelleftea side that have been strong in this year's CHL and went all the way to the semi-finals last season.

 

In the opening stages of last week's game, it looked like the Storhamar fairytale in this year's CHL would continue as they raced into a 3-0 lead in Turku. However, TPS fought back and now take a one-goal lead to Norway, meaning the home side must win the game in regulation to avoid going out. Storhamar have pulled off shocks this season against Geneva and Sparta Prague – can they go one step further tonight?

 

Defending champions Lulea know that they must win tonight's game to avoid going out on the CHL at the round of 16 stage. Visitors Tappara only need to avoid defeat, but according to Jani Lajunen they're not thinking like that. "It doesn’t really matter if we won the first game with only one goal. We are not coming to Lulea to aim for a tie or a narrow loss, we are aiming to win this game too. It’s not going to be easy, that much we learned from the first game, but it’s not impossible either,” said the game-winning-goal scorer from the first leg.  

 

As one of only two teams to win the away leg last week, Davos are in a strong position going onto tonight's match back in their own surroundings – however, they won't underestimate their opponents tonight. "We can't sit back," says young forward Claude-Curdin Paschoud. "Liberec will undoubtedly give everything, therefore we need to be prepared to give another good performance." On the opposite side of the ice, the Czech club won't be giving up. "Davos is one of the best teams in Europe and it’s easy to see why. They have a good squad, they play modern hockey as they go forward with all players all the time. You have to focus all the time," says veteran forward Branko Radivojevic. "However, we proved that two goals are not a problem for us by scoring against them. I believe we will prepare well for the game."

 

A narrow lead for Litvinov sees the Czech visitors start this game with something to defend, although it will only take an early goal from the home side to see this match-up all square on aggregate. ”There is going to be a different team on home ice than in Litvinov," said Frolunda coach Roger Ronnberg of his own team. "We know what we have to do and if we execute our game plan, we are a very hard team to beat.” Meanwhile, Litvínov's Rostislav Martynek knows his side can't rest on their one-goal lead: "I expect a tough rematch. They’re strong when playing with the puck and they skate well. However, we’re going to Gothenburg to fight for the next stage. The win from first game is very important for us now," said the forward.

 

A two-goal game is how this one will start up in Jonkoping, with Espoo arriving in the driving seat. However, all is not lost for HV71, as Espoo haven't been great on the road in the CHL this season. The Blues have only taken one overtime loss in their three away games, losing the other two in Grenoble and Mannheim.