With just one game of action left in the Group Stage, some teams had already secured qualification, but in some cases, groups had two or more teams battling for just one more spot in the Round of 16.
That was the case in Group G as the Rouen Dragons took on Rungsted Seier Capital, with both sides eying up the final qualification spot ahead of their meeting.
However, the final spot would be decided in Tuesday night's game, and it took a big third period for the Rouen Dragons to emerge victorious and claim passage into the Round of 16 for the second time in their Champions Hockey League history.
With the score tied at two each heading into the final period, goals from Rolands Vigners in the 44th minute, and the goal to seal the win in the final minute by Kelsey Tessier secured a 4-2 win over Rungsted, and Rouen are once again through to the playoffs.
For Canadian forward Andrew Johnston, it’s Playoff qualification in his first year of CHL action.
“I think we were persistent in the first period. I think they dominated us, and we took some bad penalties."
“They were a much better team than they were when we played in Rouen I thought.”Rouen Dragons forward Andrew Johnston
Despite the feeling that Rungsted were in control of the game, it was Rouen who struck first on the night when Loïc Lampérier found the back of Rungsted's net less than five minutes in.
It would take until the second period for the next goal, and again it went in favour of the visitors from Rouen, this time as Vincent Nesa made it a 2-0 game for the French side, however, Rungsted would answer with two in the middle period themselves in quick succession through Morten Jensen and Joachim Holten Møller to send the game into the final period tied at two.
But it was the third period effort that was the difference, and the two goals there were what sends Rouen further in the competition.
“They played really well, but we battled as a team the whole night, and we stuck with it, then we came out in the third and won the game.”
When asked about how his side managed to come out so much stronger in the third, Johnston was quick to point out it’s just the way the team is built.
“I think that’s the nature of our team, if we’re still in the game we’re going to come out in the third period and it’s going to be our best. "
“We regrouped and that’s exactly what we did and we were hungry, we found the goal and then just went into a shell defensively to make sure pucks got out and we could make plays.”
Now with Rouen back to the Round of 16, they’ll wait until Friday to learn who they will face.
In the 2018/19 season, they were drawn against Red Bull Salzburg in the first Playoff round, and despite a 3-3 tie in the first leg, the second was a step too far for Rouen who lost the game 5-1, with Salzburg eventually progressing all the way to the Semi-Finals.
“I’m not really super familiar with the tournament” Johnston said about the hopes for the next rounds of competition.
“We just want to keep going, keep our head down and whoever we play in the next round just put our best effort forward and see what can happen.”