There are numerous scenarios in all 11 groups that could play out on Game Day 6, with group titles and five second place wild-card spots at stake. Here we outline them all to you.

Group A

Key game: 8/10 Kärpät (10 pts, 1st) – Liberec (9 pts, 2nd)

Other: Köln (7pts, 3rd)

Previous game: Liberec – Kärpät 3-4

Outlook: Liberec must defeat Kärpät in regular time to win the group. If Liberec wins in overtime or a shootout, both teams end up with 11 points and Kärpät win the group on the head-to-head record (Kärpät 4 pts, Liberec 2 pts). If Kärpät lose to Liberec while Köln defeat Košice, then Köln overtake Kärpät for second place on head-to-head (Köln 4 pts, Kärpät 2 pts), but ending up among the five best 2nd-place teams with 10 points is very unlikely.

Group B

Key game: 7/10 Vienna (12 pts, 1st) – Zurich (10 pts, 2nd)

Other: Färjestad (8 pts, 3rd)

Previous game: Zurich – Vienna 2-1(OT)

Outlook: Zurich must win in regular time vs Vienna to win the group. Any other result gives Vienna the group win. If Färjestad win vs Vålerenga while Zurich lose in OT/SO in Vienna, both Färjestad and Zurich end up with 11 pts. In this case, Färjestad win the head-to-head 4 pts – 2 pts for 2nd place. Ending up among the five best 2nd-place teams with 11 points is unlikely.

Group C

Key games: 7/10 Villach – Frölunda (12 pts, 1st) and Genève (12 pts, 2nd) – Briançon (0 pts, 4th)

Previous games: Frölunda – Genève 7-3 and 3-4. Frölunda has head-to-head advantage 10-7.

Outlook: If Frölunda defeat Villach, they are the group winner even if Genève also win vs Briançon. For Genève to win the group, they need to take at least one more point in their game with Briançon than Frölunda collect at Villach. Villach and Briançon are out of playoff contention. If both Frölunda and Genève win their games, both teams (with 15 pts) will go through to the playoffs, with Genève as one of the five best 2nd-place teams.

Group D

Key game: 7/10 Fribourg(11 pts, 1st) – Djurgården (9 pts, 2nd)

Other: Zlín (7 pts, 3rd)

Previous games: Djurgården – Fribourg 5-4 (OT)

Outlook: Djurgården must win at Fribourg to win the group. Any other result gives Fribourg the group win. If Zlín wins vs Eisbären Berlin while Djurgården lose, Zlín will take 2nd place with 10 pts, but with a very unlikely chance to advance to the playoffs as one of the five best 2nd-place teams.

Group E

Key games: 7/10 Tappara (8 pts, 2nd) – Třinec (9 pts, 1st) and Stavanger (8 pts, 3rd) – Bern (5 pts, 4th)

Previous games: Třinec – Tappara 1-2, x-x. Třinec – Stavanger 4-5, 3-2. Stavanger win the head-to-head tie-breaker in accordance with §4.4, which compares last season’s final placing in the national leagues: Stavanger champion, Třinec runner-up. Tappara – Stavanger 7-3, 1-2 (SO). Tappara wins head-to-head 4 pts - 2 pts.

Outlook: This is the most complicated group and one of only two groups (with Group G being the other) where three teams (Třinec, Tappara, Stavanger) can finish 1st. Bern is the only team which cannot win the group. Třinec win the group if they win at Tappara. If Tappara wins in OT/SO against Třinec, then both Třinec and Tappara will have 10 pts, but Tappara win the head-to-head vs Třinec; Tappara 5 pts – Třinec 1 pt. With this, Tappara would win the group, unless Stavanger defeat Bern in regular time, as in this case, Stavanger win the group with 11 pts. There can be a three-way tie situation with Tappara, Třinec and Stavanger all on 10 pts if Tappara defeat Třinec in OT/SO while Stavanger also defeat Bern in OT/SO. In this case, a mini standing is established counting only the results between the three teams involved; Tappara, Třinec, Stavanger. Here, Tappara would win the mini standing and thus the whole group with 9 pts, followed by Stavanger with 5 pts and Třinec with 4 pts.

Stavanger would win the group if they defeat Bern in regular time, while Třinec win against Tappara in OT/SO. Then both Stavanger and Třinec have 11 pts, but Stavanger win the head-to-head in accordance with §4.4, as mentioned above. If Tappara and Stavanger win their games in regular time, both teams end up with 11 pts, and in this case Tappara win the group due to head-to-head results vs Stavanger in their favour: Tappara 4 pts – Stavanger 2 pts.

If Třinec win their game and thus the group, while Bern defeat Stavanger in regular time, there will be a three-way tie for 2nd place with all three teams on 8 pts. In this case, a mini standing is established counting only the results between the three teams involved; Tappara, Stavanger and Bern. Here, Bern would win the mini standing with 8 pts, ahead of Tappara with 5pts, with Stavanger finishing 4th, also with 5 pts, but with a lesser goal difference in the mini standing.

Group F

Key game: 7/10 Linköping (14 pts, 1st) – TPS Turku (9 pts, 2nd)

Previous games: None with relevance on the positions.

Outlook: Linköping are already the group winner. TPS can reach 12 pts if they defeat Linköping, and they would have a chance to compete as one of the five 2nd-place finishers who would qualify for the playoffs. Bolzano can reach 9 points if they defeat Pardubice, but they can’t overtake TPS (both on 9 pts) due to the head-to-head result; TPS 3 pts 11-4, Bolzano 3 pts 4-11.

Group G

Key games: 8/10 Sparta (9 pts, 1st) – Mannheim 5 pts (4th) and 7/10 KalPa (7 pts, 3rd) – Växjö 9 pts (2nd)

Previous games: Sparta – Växjö 5-2, 5-4. Sparta win head-to-head 6 pts –0 pts. Sparta – KalPa 5-4 (OT), 2-3. KalPa win head-to-head 4 pts-2 pts.

Outlook: This is the only group other than Group E, where three teams have a chance to finish 1st. Sparta win the group if they win their game in regulation time. Also; they win the group as long as Växjö doesn’t take more points than Sparta in the last round. Any tie in points between Sparta and Växjö gives Sparta the advantage due to the head-to-head. Växjö win the group if they get more points than Sparta in the last round. KalPa win the group if they defeat Växjö in regulation while Sparta lose vs Mannheim, either in regulation or in OT/SO. In the last scenario (KalPa win in regulation and Sparta loss in OT/SO), both teams will have 10 pts but KalPa will win the group due to a head-to-head advantage; 4 pts – 2 pts.

Group H

Key games: 7/10 Vitkovice (6 pts, 3rd) – SaiPa (11 pts, 1st) and Ingolstadt (4 pts, 4th) – Zug (9 pts, 2nd)

Previous games: SaiPa – Zug 2-1, 3-0. SaiPa win head-to-head 6 pts – 0 pts.

Outlook: SaiPa win the group if they defeat Vítkovice. Due to their head-to-head advantage over Zug, SaiPa also win the group if: SaiPa lose and Zug win in OT/SO (both teams with 11 pts) or if SaiPa lose in OT/SO while Zug win in regular time (both teams with 12 pts). Zug win the group if they win at Ingolstadt, while SaiPa lose at Vítkovice. Even if Zug lose, they cannot be overtaken by Vítkovice for 2nd place as Zug has the head-to-head advantage over Vítkovice.

Group I

Key games: 7/10 Salzburg (12 pts, 1st) – Kloten (1 pt, 4th) and HV71 (7 pts, 3rd) – JYP (10 pts, 2nd)

Previous games: Salzburg – JYP 4-0, 2-3. Salzburg win head-to-head 3 pts, 6-3 – 3 pts 3-6.

Outlook: Salzburg win the group if they win vs Kloten. Due to their head-to-head advantage over JYP, Salzburg also win if: Salzburg lose and JYP win in OT/SO (both teams with 12 pts) or if Salzburg lose in OT/SO while JYP win in regular time (both teams with 13 pts). If the last scenario happens, then JYP will go through as one of the five best 2nd-place teams. JYP win the group if they win at HV71 while Salzburg lose vs Kloten. If HV71 defeat JYP in regulation, then HV71 finish 2nd due to a better head-to-head record, 4 pts – 2 pts.

Group J

Key game: 7/10 IFK Helsinki (11 pts, 2nd) – Skellefteå (15 pts, 1st)

Previous games: None with relevance on the positions.

Outlook: Skellefteå is already the group winner. IFK Helsinki can reach 14 pts if they defeat Skellefteå in regulation or 13 pts if they win in OT/SO and this would be enough to go through as one of the five best 2nd-place teams.

Group K

Key game: 7/10 Lukko (12 pts, 2nd) – Luleå (15 pts, 1st)

Previous game: Luleå – Lukko 3-1.

Outlook: Luleå win the group if they take 1 point or more in the last game at Lukko. Lukko win the group if they defeat Luleå by two goals or more. If Lukko defeat Luleå by two goals then the teams will be tied in the head-to-head meetings; both with 3 pts and equal goal difference. If this scenario happens, then Lukko wins the head-to-head tie-breaker in accordance with §4.4, which compares last season’s final placing in their respective national leagues; Lukko was a semi-finalist while Luleå came 6th.