Four goals were enough to secure a regulation win for Swedish hosts Skellefteå AIK at the very end of Game Day 1 of the Champions Hockey League. It was a spread of goals from three different forwards, on three different lines, while netminder David Rautio made 13 saves between the pipes to ring in the first shutout of the season. 

29-year-old netminder David Kickert got the start for Red Bull Salzburg and was tested early after his side took a trio of minor penalties in the first period. The Austrians managed a sensational first penalty kill, meanwhile, Skellefteå worked to iron out the kinks in their special team's game, leading to a handful of better chances on the next two, albeit unsuccessful, powerplays.

Forward Rickard Hugg opened up the scoring for Skellefteå after he drove wide down the right-side, before cutting into the slot and wristing the puck high up on the short side of Kickert. Salzburg fell shy of an equaliser after two solid chances, including a brilliant wrap-around attempt from Mario Huber. Despite outshooting the hosts, and dominating the face-offs, Salzburg would trail 1-0 heading into the first intermission. 

Youngster Oskar Vuolett doubled the lead for the Swedes in the second stanza, after Hugg chipped the puck back, giving the 18-year-old a prime shooting lane. Despite an initial save from Kickert, Voulett was quick to pounce on the rebound, sending a backhander into the net to make it 2-0.

The team from Salzburg got their first man-advantage of the night thanks to a high-sticking call on defenceman Elias Salomonsson, but things went awry for the Austrians, when a turnover saw Skellefteå forward, and Latvian national team player, Martins Dzierkals sink goal number three minutes before the end of the second period.

Trailing by three goals, Salzburg struggled to generate offence. The combination of Rautio, bolstered with a defensively excellent core, proved to be an impenetrable barrier. Pär Lindholm collected his first powerplay goal of the evening, picking up a rebound in the crease of Kickert. With the scoreboard at 4-0, the Swedes had extinguished any hopes of an Austrian comeback in the remaining minutes.

The final buzzer sounded 4-0 in favour of the home team giving Skellefteå three important points, while Red Bull Salzburg will have to re-group and look to collect points in their upcoming roadtrip to Mannheim.