After losing their first two games, HC05 Banská Bystrica need to make up some ground at home, and if they want to entertain thoughts of advancing, they really need to beat Grizzlys Wolfsburg after losing to the German team 4-3 in Wolfsburg last Friday.

“We gave them too much respect. We didn’t skate hard enough and they out-battled us in the first period,” Banská Bystrica coach said after last Thursday, where his team fell behind 3-0 before making a game of it. “At this level we can play with any team, we just have to skate better.”

Both teams were then humbled on Sunday - Banská Bystrica by Salzburg 5-0 and Wolfsburg by Tappara 7-1. Although not in quite as desperate a position as the Slovak squad, the Grizzlys could still really use a win to keep their chances of advancing in good shape.

“We have to play for 60 minutes,” Wolfsburg coach Pavel Gross said of what has plagued the team for each of the first two games. “Even if you score a go-ahead goal, you have to continue with your game.”