Lukko Rauma were in Group D with ZSC Lions of Switzerland and ERC Ingolstadt of the DEL. Despite winning just one of their four games, Lukko were able to make it a clean sweep of Finnish sides into the Round of 32.
Fri, Aug 26 ZSC Lions (h) 2-3 SO
A strong opening period for the Lions saw them shock their Finnish hosts with two early goals. Lukko, playing their first CHL game of the season, were behind with just over two minutes played – Chris Baltisberger's shot hit something on the goal and came back out at speed. Having initially waived the goal off, the referees went upstairs and the video official awarded the goal with 2:19 played. Despite knowing a point would be enough to see them through, there was no let up from the Lions who had by far the better chances of the opening stages. They were duly rewarded at 10:58 when Patrik Bartschi reacted quickest to a rebound from Morris Trachsler's shot to double the Lions' lead shorthanded.
The middle period brought no goals, despite a better performance from the home side, meaning Lions netminder Niklas Schlegel started period three at 100 minutes without conceding a goal. It was all looking rose for the Lions with less than five minutes to go, before Aleksi Saarela scored on a power play with under three minutes to go to half the deficit. Then, just 26 seconds later, Janne Niskala tied the game for the home side to complete an unlikely comeback.
Overtime failed to produce a goal, and going into the shootout goals form Shannon and Pestoni were enough to give Lukko the extra point, with only Koivisto netting for the hosts.
“It was a good game,” said relieved Lions coach Hans Wallson. “I was pleased the way we started the first period. I think we came out stronger for the whole 20 minutes with the 1-0 and 2-0 goals. After three periods I wasn’t even sure if we were to win this game. During the overtime we had some changes and the shootout is what it is. It requires strength to get even two points from a really good team like (Lukko) so overall I’m happy with the result.”
“I agree with Wallson about the first period,” responded Lukko coach Juha Vuori. “We knew that the ZSC Lions are a team that skates a lot and well and are a good-quality team that plays with a high tempo. I think they gave us a good example of how we should play. We were little bit nervous at the beginning and that’s why we came out a bit soft. I’m happy that we tied the game from a two-goal deficit and that we created good chances in overtime.”
Vuori summed up, “This was our first game in the CHL this season. This was an okay start.”
Sat, Sep 03 ZSC Lions (a) 0-2
From all appearances, ZSC Lions Zurich entered this game with Group D well in control with 8 points, well ahead of Lukko Rauma with 1 and ERC Ingolstadt with 0. However, when considering that this was their last game, while Lukko and Inglostadt still have to face each other twice, they really did need to win this one to ensure that they would still be first when the group stage ended. After a strong performance on home ice and a 2-0 win over Lukko, they can breathe easy. Spurred on by their home fans at Hallenstadion, they had a strong first period, out-shooting Lukko 11-6, but neither Kaapo Kahkonen nor Lukas Flueler relented. In the second period, however, they took control.
Zurich opened the scoring in the 25th minute on a brilliant passing play in the Lukko zone. From the boards, Luca Cunti fed Severin Blindenbacher at the top of the slot. Blindenbacher fired a high, one-time blast toward the net that Chris Baltisberger expertly deflected at waist height and in. Late in the period, Lukko looked for the equalizer on the power play, but Fabrice Herzog pounced on a loose puck near his own blueline and led a shorthanded rush the other way. Entering the Lukko zone 2-on-1, Herzog faked pass, then fired a wrister over Kahkonen's glove to make it 2-0 after 40 minutes.
"I blocked the shot, the puck was just lying in front of me, I was able to break away while (Matthias) Seger pulled the defenceman towards him so all that was left for me was to shoot and I scored," Herzog later described.
Lukko never really threatened in the third period, with only six shots on Flueler – 20 in the game – as the Bern goalie picked up his second shutout in as many games this CHL season. Lukko actually did beat him with a slapper as time ran out, but it was too late to beat the horn.
"Our first period was fine for us, but then the second period, especially after the first goal, they got a grip on the game and we didn't get enough offence after that," assessed Lukko coach Juha Vuori. "That's also the second time against Zurich that they scored a man down. We need to go over those kinds of things before the next game and get the confidence back up again."
For Lukko, the next two games with Ingolstadt are big, because they will settle which team finishes second and advances, and which finishes third and goes home.
Lukko captain Janne Niskala explained, "It's quite simple, we need to win one game against Ingolstadt on Tuesday when we play them. We've watched a few highlights when they played Zurich so we know what to expect."
The outlook is rosier from the Lions' perspective.
"It's a big win for us," Zurich coach Hans Wallson stated. "We had a chance to win the group tonight and we played a pretty good game overall – not so good in the first but we got better as it went on. We found a way to win and that's what it's all about, so I'm happy about that. And we won the group so we're going to be seeded – so perfect!"
Tue, Sep 06 ERC Ingolstadt (a) 6-1
Lukko Rauma are through to the CHL playoff stage once again after a convincing 5-1 win in Ingolstadt gives them a four-point cushion over the German club with only a game left for both teams. Showing their team's depth, five different scorers chipped in for Lukko, with Lauri Tukkonen, Steven Seigo, Toni Koivisto and Aaron Gagnon registering two points each. Tukkonen got the only goal of a conservatively played first period, picking the far top corner on the power play. Sami Lahteenmaki made it 2-0 just past the eight-minute mark of the second, and then almost seven minutes later Thomas Greilinger cut the lead in half with a power-play goal for Ingolstadt. It was all downhill for the home team from that point, however. Ville Vahalahti scored for Lukko in the first minute of the third period, opening the floodgates to a 6-1 victory.
Ingolstadt coach Tommy Samuelsson said, "We had our chances and reacted very well after the 2-0 goal, but if you don't score, then each goal against you costs more. The 3-1 goal early in the third period was the goal that won the game."
"We started well and had chances,” thought Ingolstadt forward Martin Buchwieser, “but we lost our concentration for a few minutes and they got a few goals against us. If you aren't concentrated for 60 minutes at this level, then this happens. On Saturday we want to win out last game."
Despite the one-sided score, Ingolstadt actually out-shot Lukko 24-23 of the game, and Lukko coach Juha Vuori thought it wasn't as one-sided as it seemed. “Yeah, I think it was a tight game. It was tough coming in here after losing in Zurich, and we knew Ingolstadt are a good team. Our team is definitely in a growing process and the younger players need to see what the veteran players do in situations like this and learn from it.”
Sat, Sep 10 ERC Ingolstadt (h) 1-3
The two teams already knew where they were finishing in Group D and were playing for pride, and ERC Ingolstadt are proud that they won 3-1, even though it was their last game of this year's competition. The game really came down to a five-minute span late in the second period, when Ingolstadt scored all of their goals. Hekki Liedes opened the scoring for Lukko just over five minutes in, skating down the right wing and beating Timo Pielmeier with a wrister inside the far post. But that was the only shot to beat Pielmeier in the game, as he made 24 saves. Halfway through the second period the score was still 1-0 Lukko, when Ingolstadt turned it all around. First Brandon Buck came out from behind the net and backhanded the puck into the net in the 33rd minute, then just over two minutes later they took the lead on the power play when Buck's shot deflected in off Daryl Boyce, who was stationed in front. Petr Pohl got the third goal late in the period.
"They showed that they wanted to get the win," said Lukko head coach Juha Vuori, in reference to Ingolstadt. "The second period was … I’m definitely not happy. I’m disappointed about the second period and we lost the game there. It’s the path of learning that we've got to get through."
In the third period Lukko weren't able to get much going, and the game ended 3-1.
"It was the small things made the difference to get the momentum but I’m pretty happy," was all Ingolstadt coach Tommy Samuelsson had to say about his team's performance.
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