It’s a close race over in Group H and with the Graz99ers playing their first home game of the season against the Frölunda Indians who were still searching for their first win as they travelled to Austria, both sides had a chance to make things even more interesting with more crucial points on the line on Thursday night.

The visitors struck first as a wicked bounce on a shot by Johan Sundström saw the puck find it’s way past Christopher Nihlstorp to put Frölunda up 1-0, but a few minutes late it was a bit of a lucky bounce of their own that saw Graz level the score. Dwight King used his speed to open a lane for himself, and as he couldn’t settle the puck fully on his first effort, it swatted it out of mid-air towards Frölunda goalie Johan Mattsson, and as the puck bounced back towards King, it took a deflection off his skate and into the back of the net, which was awarded as a goal after review.

A solid second period saw Frölunda take the lead thanks to some great play by their captain Joel Lundqvist. Firstly the veteran forward was on hand to tip a shot past Nihlstorp to give his side a 2-1 lead, and then later in the period he fired a wicked wrist shot into the back of the net to go 3-1 up in the contest as the reigning champions started to take control of the game.

Coming out for the third period, Frölunda continued to impress and were rewarded early as 17-year-old forward Lucas Raymond grabbed his first ever Champions Hockey League goal with a great one timer to make it a 4-1 game, and then again Raymond, who's one of the top prospects ahead of next summer's NHL Entry Draft, added a second with a shot from in tight to give his side a 5-1 advantage late into the third period. With neither team able to put the puck in the back of the net for the rest of the third period, Frölunda cruised their way to a 5-1 victory to secure their first win of this years Champions Hockey League campaign.