Group K is polarised more than any other group, with Lulea Hockey and Lukko Rauma both perfect with 12 points each, while the Hamburg Freezers and Nottingham Panthers are without points. One of the two latter teams will break the goose-egg on Game Day 5, while Lulea and Lukko will play a two-game series to determine the group winner.

In a manner clearer than in any other group, this contingent of four featuring Lulea from Sweden, Lukko Rauma from Finland, the Hamburg Freezers from Germany, and the Nottingham Panthers from England has already been decided with the last four games still to be played. The Nordic teams have won all of their games in regulation while the exotic Hamburg Freezers and Nottingham haven’t shown the ability to consistently be competitive at this level of play.

Things started off interestingly enough when Lukko Rauma found itself having to entertain the idea of being upset by Nottingham in Nottingham on 22 August. After gaining a fairly quick 2-0 lead, Nottingham was able to tie the game at two by the end of the second period and things were getting very interesting, as the much more established Finnish club was looking a bit duped at what their opponent was capable of. Jerry Ahtola was eventually able to score the game winner in the 46th minute of play on an individual effort and Aaron Gagnon eventually finished things off with a power play goal in the 49th minute, but the victory proved to be somewhat bittersweet for Lukko.

Defenceman Janne Niskala summed up the frustrating victory: “Nottingham was really a different place to play hockey, but those guys still managed to play really well. We were ultimately able to beat them 4-2, but that was a little disappointing for us. We just weren’t as able to bring our best game.”

On the same day, the Hamburg Freezers – a team that finished first overall in the DEL in the 2013-14 season – hosted Lulea in what promised to be a very interesting game. However, Lulea came out like gangbusters and the Freezers were unable to do anything but stand on their heels, which eventually led to a few too many penalties.

Combined with Lulea’s effective and dominating attack, the game was more or less over after the first period, in which Lulea scored all four of their goals, three of which came on the power play. The Freezers were able to regroup and actually scored to show some life, but were clearly outplayed by a better opponent over the course of the three periods. Per Ledin and youngster Daniel Zaar each had three points in the contest.

Just two days later, the Freezers showed themselves ready to bounce back from the convincing loss when they hosted Lukko Rauma. The game featured a lot of rough play and action in both zones, with the respective goalies playing the decisive role. Despite the evenness shown over the first 23 minutes of play, Mikko Kousa’s goal in the 25th minute of play seemed to be just what the doctor ordered to get things going for Lukko. The team added two more goals in the third period and took the three points home with them.

The loss was tough to swallow, but the Freezers didn’t feel as though it would mean the end of their contention in CHL play, as was explained by captain Christoph Schubert: “We wanted to come out today playing very aggressive in the defensive zone. It worked out well, but when you play a team like Lukko, they just don’t need a lot of chances in order to score. We got some things we’ve got to work on this week, ‘cause we still have to play in Finland and Sweden. Our goal is to make the next round and we’re going to have to win on the road in order to do that.”

That Lukko felt the Freezers were a strong opponent and were happy to have gotten the win was evidenced by Canadian forward Aaron Gagnon: “It was a real close game the whole way through, but the difference was that we got better as the game wore on. We were able to score the key goals when we needed them.”

At the same time, Lulea was playing host to Nottingham and the game clearly showed the difference in the two leagues these teams represent. Lulea jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead within the first six minutes of the game, but a Brandon Benedict power play goal in the 17th minute had Nottingham looking like they were going to once again make some noise against another Nordic opponent. Things looked mighty different by the end of the second period, in which Lulea scored six goals. They’d proceed to add another two in the third period, giving them a handy 10-1 victory. In all, four goals were scored on the power play and one shorthanded. Thirteen players got on the scoreboard while Canadians Cam Abbott and Stephen Dixon did the most damage, each getting two goals and four points. Lennart Petrell and Karl Fabricius also contributed three points apiece.

A month later, Lulea would host Hamburg while Lukko hosted Nottingham. For Nottingham, the schism between leagues became even clearer as Lukko scored four first period goals and eventually coasted to a 6-2 victory. Aaron Gagnon and Ville Vahalahti each chipped in a goal and two assists. The story wasn’t much different for the Freezers in Lulea as the team got shut out for the second time in a row, this time in an almost embarrassing 6-0 loss. Another 16 penalty minutes made any type of competition too difficult for a Hamburg club that has had trouble staying out of the sin bin. Lulea ended up scoring another four power play goals and saw 12 players gain at least one point. Carolina Hurricanes prospect Lucas Wallmark led the way with a goal and three points.

Certain trends continued on 7 September when Lukko Rauma hosted the Freezers and handed them their third shutout loss in a row. The game was very tight and again a duo between goalies until Henrik Koivisto popped in an even strength goal in the 30th minute of play. That proved to open the floodgates. The Finns would go on to score a total of five goals and make optimal use of Hamburg’s habit of finding its way to the penalty box, as the team collected 13 minor penalties and 36 penalty minutes in total. Toni Koivisto was the night’s top scorer with three points.

Across the way in Lulea, Nottingham had to once again take a shellacking, falling to the Swedish club by a total score of nine to one. This time there’d be no close first period as the team – just like against Lukko – allowed four goals against by the time the first 20 minutes had passed. The offensive juggernaut once again saw a very healthy contribution across the line-up, featuring 13 players who had at least one point. Young stars Lucas Wallmark and Daniel Zaar each had another three points.

Overall, the CHL list of the 10 top scorers consists of four Lulea forwards with Per Ledin’s four goals and eight points seeing him ranked third overall. Lucas Wallmark, Cam Abbott, and Stephen Dixon come in right behind him, each having scored four goals and seven points.

With these contests now in the books, both Lulea and Lukko can rest assured that their CHL seasons will continue and their games will be played to duke it out for first place. The Hamburg Freezers and Nottingham Panthers will each be looking to get their first points in CHL play, while generally getting back on track. The games will also serve as an interesting comparison of teams from the DEL and EIHL.

CHL action will resume for all four clubs on Tuesday, 23 September in Nottingham and Lulea. Lulea coach Joakim Fagervall is ready to see his team use these games as a measuring stick between the high-scoring opponents: “The games against Lukko should be two really good match-ups. We’re looking forward to playing them.” And we’re looking forward to seeing them!

Group K standings

Schedule and results