Färjestad Karlstad are in a favourable position following a 5-3 away win over EHC Biel-Bienne in the First Game of the Round of 16. The two teams twice traded goals in the first half of the game before the visitors reeled off three straight strikes. A late powerplay goal for Biel-Bienne gives them a bit more hope heading into the Return Game on the road.

Toni Rajala opened the scoring for Biel-Bienne in the 12th minute, taking a pass from Rihards Bukarts en route to the net and beating Maxime Lagacé on a forehand deke. Patrik Lundh levelled the scores at the 16-minute mark, shovelling in a rebound on his backhand after August Tornberg’s point shot.

Biel-Bienne had a golden chance to regain the lead early in the second. There was a wild scramble in Legacé’s goal crease and video replay was consulted, but there was no conclusive evidence that the puck ever crossed the goal line.

A minute and a half later, there was another scramble at the other end of the rink, and Victor Ejdsell was the last Färjestad player to touch the puck before it crossed the goal line.

Biel-Bienne did tie it back up on the powerplay just past the game’s midpoint when Yannick Rathgeb’s point shot struck Damien Brunner in the chest and redirected into the net, but they remained even for less than a minute. With Färjestad now on a powerplay of their own, Ejdsell scored his second of the game, converting a rebound after a shot from Joel Nyström.

Late in the second period, Tornberg gave Färjestad a two-goal lead with a wrist shot off the rush, and then early in the third, Michael Lindqvist made it a three-goal difference.

Facing the daunting reality of heading to Sweden with a three-goal deficit, Biel-Bienne pressed hard and got one goal back with eight minutes to play on the powerplay courtesy Alexandr Yakovenko. Nonetheless, the Swiss club faces an uphill climb down two heading into the Return Game.