Finnish side Ilves Tampere will try for their fifth win of the season and second against Czech challengers Dynamo Pardubice as both sides suit up for their first taste of Champions Hockey League Playoff hockey. In their first meeting all the way back on Game Day 1, Joona Ikonen, Samuli Ratinen, and Eemeli Suomi each scored for the Finns as Ilves went on to secure a 3-1 victory.

After opening up their 2023/24 campaign with four straight wins, Ilves were brought back down to Earth with two consecutive losses – a 4-3 OT defeat by Färjestad Karlstad and, more recently, a 6-1 thrashing by French participants the Rouen Dragons. Still, the Finns sport one of the best all-around clubs competing on the pan-European stage as they excel in generating opportunities up front while confidently activating their D-men from the blueline.

Currently, the club sits tied for fifth in goals for per game with an average of 3.67. Their best outing, a 7-1 tilt against HC Bolzano, saw seven different players net a goal and these consistent contributions from up and down the lineup have been a staple of Ilves’ all season long. On defence, 2-time CHL participant Les Lancaster has five goals to go along with two assists while up front Šimon Stránský (1G, 7A) leads all Ilves forwards with eight points in his CHL debut.

Continuing this trend of stable production will go a long way to helping the Finns fend off any hopes Pardubice have of making a bid for the Quarter-Finals.

For Pardubice, strong starts didn’t always produce successful finishes. In each of their most recent match-ups – both 3-2 defeats – the Czechs were the ones out front, until they weren’t. Now, as they prepare for a rematch against a formidable Finnish club in Ilves, Pardubice will be looking to put together a full 60-minute effort. This means establishing a lead and then maintaining it.

To do this, they’ll need to continue to rely on the scoring prowess of Tomáš Hyka who leads the team with one goal and five assists for six points through as many games, and their top defender, Peter Čerešňák, who boasts six assists through six contests.

Finding the net is one challenge, but keeping the puck out of their own net will be another aspect the Czechs should focus their efforts on. The club is still among the top-ranked teams in this category, surrendering an average of 2.33 goals against per game, but two losses after two early leads is concerning.

In that respect, Pardubice will look for a bounce back effort from their netminders, specifically Milan Klouček, who has enjoyed the lion’s share of starts and who sports decent numbers with a 91.30 SV% and a 2.55 GAA.