As far as title defences go, it couldn't have started much better as Frölunda Gothenburg put on a dominant performance with a huge road win against Adler Mannheim, who were missing key personnel, as the 2021/22 Champions Hockey League playoffs begin.

Frölunda had the stronger start of the two sides, but couldn’t make the early pressure count, and as the hosts began to get their skates underneath them, the game looked to really open up.

Finally, the opener came. A lazy turnover by Anders Grönlund saw the puck go right to the tape of Borna Rendulic in the offensive zone, and he made a great move to go in alone on Matthew Tomkins, slotting the puck in the net for the opening goal of the contest.

Frölunda had a chance to tie things up with a powerplay shortly after, and it was the usual suspects on the ice. Ryan Lasch found Joel Lundqvist out in front, with Lundqvist burying the opportunity to tie things up, with the assist marking Lasch’s 100th ever CHL point.

A second powerplay quickly followed, and Patrik Carlsson was the man at the back post to give Frölunda the lead after some great puck movement which in true Frölunda fashion, involved Lasch for his 101st point.

With Frölunda up 2-1 heading into the second period, they turned up the pressure. First as they were awarded a penalty shot, Lasch added to his point totals, converting the attempt into a goal past Felix Brückmann, before Nicklas Lasu made it a 4-1 hockey game less than a minute later.

More penalty trouble followed for Mannheim, and Frölunda punished them once again, a pass from up top to Elmer Söderblom allowed the 6'8" winger to fire in his first of the season, making it a huge 5-1 scoreline just after the midway point, and that's how it would remain heading into the final 20 minutes of the opening leg.

It didn't take long for the sixth to follow in the third, 20-year-old Karl Henrikkson followed up the play well, the initial shot by Jan Mursak went wide, bouncing off the boards and right out in front to Henriksson who had nothing but a wide open net to tap the puck into.

Lasch and Söderblom would combine shortly after following a terrible turnover behind the net to make it seven, and Theodor Niederbach tapped in the eighth after Brückmann couldn't stop the initial shot from Christian Folin.

Despite victory secured already, Frölunda continued to search for more goals and eventually they found the ninth, as Johan Sundström scored the teams fourth powerplay goal on five opportunities to make it 9-1, and after such a dominant powerplay performance, the penalty kill got involved as Frölunda hit double digits, with Patrik Carlsson scoring his second of the night, this time coming shorthanded. 

Eventually Frölunda ran out of time to add any more to the scoresheet, as they left Germany with a massive 10-1 victory, meaning the two sides head to Sweden next week, with Mannheim needing a miracle.