The Champions Hockey League Quarter-Finals begin with a bang as two former CHL Finalists will get things going as Sparta Prague take on the Växjö Lakers. These two clubs are no strangers to high-stakes competition, having met in the Semi-Finals during the 2016/17 campaign where Sparta earned a 6-1 aggregate victory.

They also share a long history in the pan-European competition, having competed against one another in the inaugural season and more times since. Now, ten years later, they'll do it again with a chance to advance to the Semi-Finals.

This season has seen Växjö occupy polar opposite sides when it comes to the stats. On one side, they sport one of the best defences in the league, allowing only 1.88 goals against per game; yet, their offence has been severely lacking, managing only 2.13 goals for per game. Their special teams play has also been a bit of an anomaly with their powerplay ranked 8th, converting 23.08% of the time, while their PK sits in 19th place, operating at 74.07% efficiency.

Nevertheless, the Swedish side has put together a successful run that has seen them take down tough competitors in the likes of Oceláři Třinec, Eisbären Berlin, and most recently Fribourg-Gottéron. Having one of the better backends has certainly helped and will be an asset moving forward as Sparta have been on a hot streak as of late and showcased their more-than-capable offence against their fellow countrymen in their 5-2 aggregate win over Třinec.

On the Czech side, a slow start to the season has seen Sparta finally find their form. After dropping three out of their first four contests, the Czechs have gone on to outscore their opponents by a combined 11 - 5, defeating challengers including Pinguins Bremerhaven and Red Bull Salzburg, both of whom have also qualified for the Quarter-Finals.

Several factors have led to their success over this span, but one in particular has been the outstanding play of their netminder Jakub Kovář. After backing up youngster Josef Kořenář during the Regular Season, Kovář was called upon in the Round of 16 and played spectacularly, stopping 55 of 57 shots between the two contests. Having that experience combined with a talented young goalie in Kořenář could be instrumental in Sparta keeping their chances of hoisting the European Trophy alive.