After a last-minute regulation loss in last week’s game the THOMAS SABO Ice Tigers, playing this match at home in Nuremberg, face mounting pressure to salvage a season that has not lived up to expectations.

The Ice Tigers will have home ice advantage when the puck drops on Tuesday night knowing they only need to force overtime to qualify for the Playoff Round, but the task is not as easy as it sounds. Not only did they fall to these very same Dragons in Champions Hockey League action last week, but the Ice Tigers have managed only 4 wins in 11 games domestically despite posting 100 points last season. After last week’s heartbreak they will want to avoid sitting back against a Rouen team that sent 69 shots towards netminder Andreas Jenike. Nuremberg will look to top goal scorer Brandon Buck and his line to log big minutes and secure the points needed to advance.

At the other end of the rink, the visitors from Rouen come in having not lost in CHL and domestic play since the 7th of September. They are looking to recover from their 0 - 3 start to this year’s CHL group stage and would qualify for the Playoff Round with a regulation win. Rouen, thus far, has the second-lowest goals per game total in the CHL Group Stage and will rely on Nicolas Deschamps, who has five points in five games in the 18/19 CHL, to be the offensive catalyst. Look for the Dragons to capitalize on powerplay chances and try to take the home supporters out of this game. Momentum could be the deciding factor in this game between two teams heading in opposite directions.