Last week in Graz, Mountfield HK won 2-1. That eliminated the playoff chances of the Graz99ers and put Mountfield’s destiny in their own hands. However, after Tuesday's game which saw the Frölunda Indians beat the Cardiff Devils, Mountfield's place in the Round of 16 was secured. Even with a regulation win, the Czech side cannot leapfrog Frölunda.

Mountfield won last week in large part due to the two-point effort from Rudolf Červený and Radek Smoleňák, who are the team’s top scorers in the Champions Hockey League and Czech Extraliga, respectively. Červený has six points in five CHL games and Smoleňák has 10 points in 10 games domestically. In goal, Marek Mazanec has been Mr. Everything, starting every game in both competitions and he will presumably get the start again. Mountfield have been one of the top Extraliga teams over the past few years but after starting strong this year, they’re in a bit of a slump right now, having dropped four of their last five games.

After a promising start with a 6-5 shootout win in over the powerhouse Frölunda Indians in Gothenburg, the bottom fell out for the 99ers, who have lost four CHL games in a row, picking up only one point along the way. Especially disappointing was three straight regulation losses at home. With their chances of advancing gone, they’ll try to end on a high note. Colton Yellow Horn is the team’s top scorer in the CHL with five points, all assists, followed by linemate Dwight King with four points, all goals. Currently, the 99es are sixth in the 10-team EBEL with 15 points.