With Playoff qualification on the line, the stakes are high in this Swiss-German match-up between hosts Lausanne HC and Adler Mannheim, with only three points separating the two from top spot.

Currently, Mannheim are first in Group C with eight points and are in a position to qualify for the Playoffs with a win in at least one of their next two tilts against the Swiss side.

Their shootout win over Lukko Rauma, while not the ideal path to victory considering how close the two clubs are in the group, was enough to maintain their strong position, and they’ll be looking to cement themselves in the Playoffs with a win in either regulation or overtime against Lausanne.

A feat that can certainly be done with the help of former NHLers Nigel Dawes and Andrew Desjardins who lead Mannheim in CHL scoring. Speaking of scoring, right now Mannheim sit at 99 total goals in their CHL career – one away from securing their 100th marker and reaching an impressive CHL milestone.

Lausanne enter the Game Day 5 match-up with a little more fire underneath them as they need a victory to keep their Playoff hopes alive. A 2-0 decision against the Cardiff Devils helped them stay alive for Playoff qualification, but going forward they’ll need a win against Mannheim.

With the unfortunate absence of Luca Boltshauser due to injury, Lausanne will likely lean on CHL veteran Tobias Stephan who could achieve his own CHL milestone with 20 total wins and 40 games played all-time pending his participation and success in the upcoming affairs.