Last week in the Belarusian capital, Yunost Minsk used their home-ice advantage early to build up a 2-0 lead – and very nearly scored a third goal – in the first period. However, their hopes of taking a lead into the return game were dashed as Red Bull Munich scored three times over the final 40 minutes to win 3-2. Justin Schütz, the 19-year-old Florida Panthers prospect, recorded a goal and an assist for Munich, while Minsk relied on the goaltending of Igor Brikun, who made 30 saves and kept the situation manageable. It’s now advantage Red Bulls by one goal as they head to their home game in Bavaria.

Prior to the first game in Minsk, the DEL had taken a week off and it seemed to take a little while for the Red Bull players to get their legs, but find them they eventually did. Since that game, they were beaten 4-3 in overtime by the Nuremberg Ice Tigers on home ice Friday night and then won 2-1 over DEG in Düsseldorf on Sunday. The loss to Nuremberg were the first two points they've dropped at home all season in either the CHL or DEL. With an amazing record of 17-0-1-1, they are still comfortably on top of the DEL standings and now look to continue their run in the CHL as well by advancing to the Quarter-Finals.

Minsk are also doing well domestically. Since last Tuesday’s game, they have won two out of three Extraliga games and have won seven of their last eight overall. On Sunday they beat Zhlobin 5-2 and sit second in the league, five points back of Neman Grodno. They’ve got their work cut out for them in Munich, though, needing at least a one-goal win over 60 minutes to force overtime or a two-goal win to advance outright in a building that has been very unkind to visiting teams, both from Germany and elsewhere.