In their Game Day 1 contest against Red Bull Salzburg, reigning SHL champions Skellefteå AIK had the help of some late-game magic from Andreas Johnson to overcome their Austrian challengers by a 4-3 decision. German side the Straubing Tigers were a bit more comfortable with their result, securing a shutout against Danish side SønderjyskE Vojens in a 3-0 victory.

The road has been kind to Skellefteå. Last year, the Swedes went 5-for-7 away from their arena and even found more success away from Sweden than they did in it. They've seemed to continue that trend this year, earning their first points in dramatic fashion in Austria.

Skellefteå started strong, securing the first goal of the game, and taking a 3-1 lead midway through the match. But a few missed assignments caused the visitors' lead to vanish and if not for Johnson's tally with less than two minutes to go, the result could've been much different.

The Germans showed they could succeed in all situations, scoring at both 5-on-5 as well as on the man-advantage. Their distribution of the puck and ability to have contributions from up and down the lineup were also instrumental in their win over SønderjyskE, with nine different players recording a point in that contest.

Making their case as a strong contender even more is their dominance on defence highlighted by American netminder Zane McIntyre who claimed several key stops en route to his 21-save shutout.

After securing their first win in dominant form, Straubing will be yet another challenge for the Swedish side. If they hope to continue their success on the road, Skellefteå will need to maintain their momentum for the entire 60 minutes. On the other side, sustaining their efficiency in the dot will go a long way to helping Straubing keep possession and in this category, they faired a bit better at 67.86% to Skellefteå's 48.28%.