Eisbären Berlin kicked off their Champions Hockey League campaign with a win over Storhamar Hamar, but momentum quickly faded. Back-to-back losses to KAC Klagenfurt and a heavy 6–2 defeat to Lukko Rauma have left the German side searching for answers.

Forward Leonhard Pföderl leads the offence with 3 points (2G, 1A), while veteran defenceman Jonas Müller has been a workhorse — averaging 24:33 TOI and a point per game. On the goaltending front, Jonas Stettmer and Jake Hildebrand have split duties and currently hold a 3.2 and 2.85 GAA, respectively. 

Grenoble, in contrast, picked up their first win of the Regular Season with an impressive 8-5 victory over Pinguins Bremerhaven. The long awaited win was a welcomed change for the French champions who were put through their paces by two Swiss teams.  SC Bern blanked them, and EV Zug delivered a crushing 5-1 blow next. 

Christophe Boivin, Alexandre Mallet, and François Beauchemin are the engines up front, and they’ll need to be firing again to crack Berlin’s defence. Matija Pintarič has managed all netminding duties so far and currently sits on a GAA of 4.03.

With playoff hopes on the line, both teams are under pressure. Currently, Eisbären boast the CHL’s top-ranked powerplay at 25%, making discipline a must for Grenoble. Expect a high-tempo clash with plenty of scoring chances — and no room for mistakes.