It looked dicey for a while, but Ilves Tampere’s perfect record in this season’s Champions Hockey League holds, backed up by a 3-2 road victory over Pinguins Bremerhaven in the First Game of the Round of 16.

Ilves outshot Bremerhaven 48-19, but Leon Hungerecker was brilliant in the Pinguins net. Special teams were a big factor in this game – Ilves were 3-for-6 on the powerplay and killed off all five Bremerhaven powerplays, keeping their perfect CHL PK intact.

The teams traded goals in the first period, less than four minutes apart.

Just past the seven-minute mark, Ilves opened the scoring on the powerplay. With Samuli Ratinen setting up a long-distance one-timer from Arttu Pelli through a crowd. Just past the opening period’s midpoint, Bremerhaven’s Alex Friesen tied it on a breakaway.

Just past the game’s midpoint, Bremerhaven took the lead off the rush when Lenny Boos made a move at the blueline and fed Christian Wejse, who slid the puck under Mantas Armalis's pad. Ilves challenged the play for offside, but the goal stood.

With 2:08 to play in the middle frame, Bennet Roßmy was assessed a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct, leading to the tying and go-ahead goals by Ilves.

The tying goal came late in the second period, just 43 seconds into the powerplay, when Matic Török deflected a one-time shot from Matias Mäntykivi.

Ilves regained the lead early in the third when Erik Borg converted a rebound after Olli Palola’s long shot.

Bremerhaven had a couple more powerplay opportunities after that but the always brilliant Ilves penalty-killing gave them nothing in the way of quality scoring opportunities.