The home side only have themselves to rely upon now after Group E leaders Tappara Tampere helped them through to the knockout stages with a regulation win over Djurgården. They’ll try to justify Tappara’s performance by replicating one like the 6-2 victory over Oceláři Třinec, which saw them successfully fulfill their end of the bargain.

Since that game, Storhamar have bounced back from a league loss to go on a five-game winning streak, landing themselves four points clear at the top of the Get Ligaen. They’ve scored 21 goals in those matches, four more than they did in the Group Stage despite playing one more game, with Patrick Thoresen adding another 3 points to his tally in their last fixture with a goal and two assists. His form, combined with his teams’ momentum, could be pivotal if they’re to inflict what would be the Swedish sides first regulation loss of the tournament.

While Skellefteå are no strangers to the knockout stages of the Champions Hockey League, they return knowing that a poor first leg away loss effectively dumped them out of the competition in 2016/17. Albeit their opponents were JYP that year, Head Coach Tommy Samuelsson won’t want overtime to become a reoccurring theme after his sides two losses following the final buzzer in the Group Stage. They’ve experienced similar luck domestically since progressing, with three of their seven games going to OT, two of which they’ve lost.

The one win at the beginning of this month has proved to be their only one since the 1st of October when they beat the Växjö Lakers 2-1. Sitting at 11th in the Swedish Hockey League, the visitors will look to unleash all their frustration on Storhamar if it means leaving Norway with a win to their name.