EV Zug gave themselves several chances to even the aggregate score in the closing minutes of the First Game of their Champions Hockey League Semi-Finals series against Luleå Hockey, but the Swedes were able to maintain their one-goal edge thanks in large part to some brilliant netminding courtesy of Joel Lassinantti.

Luleå found things in their favour in the first when a nice breakout, followed by a fortuitous bounce, and a nifty dish led to the visitors securing the first goal of the game. Ben Tardif flipped the puck up where it pinballed around near the blueline before ending up on Tardif's stick blade as he slid one over to Heikki Liedes who lasered it past the stick of Leonardo Genoni to give Luleå the 1-0 lead at 18:26.

Scoring resumed in the second with Zug's Jan Kovář knotting things at 1-1 when he cashed in on a rebound on the powerplay. Elia Riva let one fly from the point as Lassinantti made the initial save, but the puck found its way to Kovář who wasted no time in ripping it glove side to get his team on the board.

Two minutes after Kovář levelled the scoring, however, Isac Hedqvist returned momentum to his team's side when he forced a turnover on the PK, gained control of the puck and wristed it short side. Tardif would go on to make it 3-1 on a turn-around shot from just above the crease at 35:23.

Third period action got underway with the Swiss entertaining more offensive zone time, which eventually led them to make things more interesting seven minutes into the final frame when Tomáš Tatar registered his sixth goal of the CHL season on the powerplay. Lassinantti made the initial save off a Dominik Kubalík shot, but sent the puck right to Tatar, who quickly swept it to the back of the net.

Zug found themselves on the powerplay with a little over four minutes remaining in regulation, but were unable to repeat the success of their earlier man-advantage as Luleå were able to hold on to their one-goal advantage heading into next week's all-deciding Semi-Finals Return Game.