Jukurit have been one of the biggest surprises of the season so far. The Finnish team are the only club left in the competition that made its debut this season and it's no surprise why - their high-pace, end-to-end style of play has caught many teams out, including Swiss side Fribourg-Gottéron.

Following a 1-1 Round of 16 First Game draw, the Finns, rather unexpectedly, scored an OT-winner in the Return Game to move on to the Quarter-Finals.

The game, and entire series for that matter, was pretty cautiously played by both teams. The First Game saw a mere three Expected Goals combined as both teams split the Expected win 50-50. 

The Return Game was a bit more exciting, with over 100 shots in total! With all to play for, both sides really went for it, but Fribourg were the ones testing the Finns more often. Despite that, a great performance in net from Frans Tuohimaa, who made 33 saves, helped guide his team to victory.

Jukurit's stats are handicapped due to the fact one of their Group Stage games didn't go ahead, but when we adjust them, it's clear they create a lot of chances and are active on both ends of the ice. They've had trouble scoring in the past, but proved they can handle pressure well against Fribourg. They also often press their opponents and wait for them to make mistakes.

But, unfortunately, that didn't work for them last time around against Luleå, with the Finns losing both of their Group Stage games against the Swedes earlier this season. The first was a 2-5 loss on home ice in their first-ever game on the pan-European stage. 

The second came on Game Day 3 and was a game in which Jukurit lost a 2-0 lead to ultimately lose 4-3. But the Finns played well and noticeably improved on their 5-2 loss to the Swedes on Game Day 1 - are the Quarter-Finals the right time and place to turn it all around?

Luleå are one of only two teams to enter the Quarter-Finals unbeaten. Their 8-0 record so far this season speaks about how strong an opponent they've been. The Swedes have scored 27 goals, whilst letting 14 into their own net - which lands them in the better half of the CHL leaderboards. 

Their mediocre stats run continues when analysing their powerplay and penalty kill efficiency - they've only scored 17.65% of their powerplays, while, on the other hand, they've successfully killed 88.46% of powerplays against, letting only three in while a man down. Stats like this are a good average in the CHL this season.

So what's been the key to their success? Consistent performances and playing down to the final minutes. 

Luleå are confident on the puck and can handle taking their time to get into the best chances. They also don't crack under pressure and have no problem withstanding attack after attack. 

An important part of their game and performances have been down to Matteus Ward who has been as sturdy as a rock in net. The 21-year-old goaltender has only missed one of his side's games this season and has accumulated a 92.65 Save % and let in an average of only 1.65 goals per game.

Up front, multiple players have gotten in on the scoring action, but Isac Brännström and Konstantin Komarek lead the way with four goals each, while Brännström (4G, 4A) and Juhani Tyrväinen (3G, 5A) are the team's scoring leaders with eight points a piece. 

Looking ahead at their two upcoming games against Jukurit, Luleå just need to tap in to the energy they had back in the Group Stage when they put nine past Jukurit over two games, but the Finns, now with eight elite European club ice hockey games under their belt, could be ready with a dish best served cold...