Last week in the German capital, Eisbären Berlin needed a win on home ice over Mountfield HK to set up a huge game on Game Day 6 between the same two teams with a spot in the Round of 16 at stake. The Eisbären got off to a 3-1 lead on their home ice before Mountfield stormed back with six straight goals to see the Czech team through. Mountfield’s Canadian defenceman Jérémie Blain had a great game with two goals, an assist, six shots on goal and a plus-3 rating.

As a result, the two teams reconvene this week in Hradec Králové without a playoff berth at stake – Mountfield know they will advance and Berlin know that they won’t. However, Mountfield enter the game tied on 12 points with Frölunda Gothenburg for first place in Group G and Berlin enter the game tied on three points with Grenoble for third. Therefore, the results of this game and the Frölunda-Grenoble matchup in Sweden will determine the final placements in the group.

Since last week’s meeting, Mountfield only played one Extraliga game – a 5-2 road win over Škoda Plzeň on Sunday. The Czech league’s regular-season winners last season, Mountfield currently sit eighth in the 14-team circuit with 12 points in eight games. Berlin also won their lone intervening league game this past week, 3-2 at home against the Nuremberg Ice Tigers on Sunday. With 11 points in eight games, Die Eisbären are currently 11th in the 15-team DEL.

As a result of his three-point game last week, Blain is currently Mountfield’s top scorer in the CHL with seven points, although he missed Friday’s game with an injury. Jakub Lev leads the team domestically with seven points. Zack Boychuk, who scored two of Berlin’s goals last week, has 10 points which puts him second in the entire CHL. Boychuk has nine DEL points, one behind team leader Marcel Noebels.