A 3-2 loss to Munich in the First Game put a question mark on whether or not Genève would be able to pull off a trip to the next leg of the Playoffs. In that game, the Swiss were heavily outshot – 32- 18 – and were guilty of twice as many penalties as their German opponents. If not for their excellent PK, which currently sits first in the league with a 96.30% efficiency, the outcome could have been drastically different.

Things would settle down for Genève at home in their Return Game. Shot totals were in their favour as they pelted Mathias Niederberger with 38 attempts with three finding the back of the net and their faceoff win percentage was much improved as they held a 31-29 edge compared to their 15 face-off wins in the First Game.

Now, as they get ready to suit up against the second-best Regular Season club in Växjö, their stalwarts in Tanner Richard, Teemu Hartikainen, and Sami Vatanen will be looking to continue their contributions to a club that’s netting an average of 3.75 goals per game.

A veteran of the Swiss club for the better part of seven seasons, Richard currently leads the team in points with one goal and nine assists for ten points through eight games. Meanwhile, 33-year-old Hartikainen is second with four markers and four helpers. At the point, Vatanen has been stellar, netting one and assisting on eight more.

Växjö followed up their impressive Regular Season run, which saw them accumulate 16 points, with an equally impressive performance in the opening round of the Playoffs.

A dominant First Game performance saw the Swedes score four against Ingolstadt which helped pave the way to their QFs appearance as Ingolstadt would go on to make it a series when they forced a 3-3 tie in the Return Game. Växjö's advancement, however, should come as no surprise.

Through eight games, the Swedish side has cemented themselves at or near the top of the league in several categories. On offence, their 4.50 goals for per game is ranked second while their 25.64% conversion rate on the PP has them in third place. Their defence has been just as dangerous with their PK in the top five with an 86.36% efficiency and their goals against per game tied for third as they’ve allowed just 2.13.

These numbers are helped heavily by their top skaters in Dylan McLaughlin (5G+5A), Tobias Rieder (3G+5A), and Joel Persson (2G+4A) on defence, but their netminding tandem of Adam Åhman and Emil Larmi has been lights out for Växjö, with Åhman their go-to with five wins and sporting a 90.12 SV% and a 2.63 GAA.

Seeing how commanding the Swedish side has been through eight games, their strategy should be to continue playing to their identity and using their offensive and defensive strengths to stifle a Swiss team that narrowly made it out of the Round of 16.