A 5-1 showing by HC Bolzano against Frisk Asker silenced the crowd in Norway and thwarted the CHL sophomore's opportunity to even their record. Now, it’ll be Asker's chance to spoil the Italian side’s homestay as the two meet on Italian ice.

In their first affair, Bolzano laid the body on Frisk, rendering 14 hits and racking up a hefty 45 penalty minutes. The Italians edgy play, however, didn’t cost them much as Frisk Asker were held to just one powerplay goal over nine opportunities. Bolzano’s Kevin Boyle played a near-perfect game, allowing his team to come away with the win relatively unscathed.

In their return to home ice, Boyle got the nod again when Bolzano hosted JKH GKS Jastrzębie. The New Jersey native continued his strong play as he helped lift the Italians to their third victory by a final of 3-1, cementing them behind Red Bull Salzburg in the Group H standings. Bolzano’s physical play continued, and their better behaviour meant less trips to the box. But discipline didn’t bring results on the powerplay where they went 0-5. With a chance to go keep their record spotless against a struggling Frisk Asker, the central shortcoming the Italian side will be looking to correct should be their special team's play.

Asker dropped their third-straight contest with a 1-0 loss to Red Bull Salzburg. After going 0-6 in their 2019/20 debut, it appears the Norwegians are set for a repeat, but a good showing on Sunday could make all the difference. Luckily for Asker, their match against Salzburg saw the away side play a more competitive game. For the Norwegians, the plan is cut-and-dry: score more. Through three games, they’ve only found the net 3 times but have allowed 12 against. Getting on the board early will be key to gaining confidence and a stingy Balzano team will be a good test to see how well they can adapt their game plan going forward.