- Red Bulls scored only one goal in 125 minutes of hockey over the weekend
- Redhawks took two wins to keep their domestic form going
- Munich qualified on the road in previous round
When the Redhawks and Red Bulls met in their final Group Stage game the situation was not dissimilar. Munich had won the previous week's meeting by a goal, meaning that Malmö needed to get at least a two-goal victory to top the group.
This time around the margins are the same, but the prize on offer is much bigger - with a place in the Semi-Finals at stake. The Red Bulls lead by just a goal following the 2-1 win on home ice, but will be well aware that they went down 6-2 the last time they went to Malmö.
Malmö, who are currently third in the SHL, had a decent weekend with a five points out of six against Rögle and Örebro in a shootout and regulation respectively - only conceding a goal in each game. A tight defense will be key as they try to turn the series around - Cristopher Nihlstorp started in net last week and has saved 93.86% of shots in his 240 minutes in the CHL so far. An similar performance will be just what the Redhawks need.
Munich have played two games since their home win in the CHL last week, and lost both of them. Friday night they went down 4-1 in Nuremberg, before losing a scoreless game to Mannheim on penalty shots - remarkable that no side managed a single goal in 65 minutes of hockey.
The Red Bulls have shared the goals around in the CHL this season, with 10 different scorers so far. While Trevor Parks leads with six, John Mitchell wears the Top Scorer jersey due to his 2+8 until now. In net, Olympic Silver Medalist Danny aus den Birken will be relied upon to backstop the Red Bulls to a historic Semi-Final place - he's saving 93.48% of shots in the CHL, and shut out EV Zug in the last round to get his side through.