Jukurit Mikkeli struck first but Fribourg-Gottéron knotted things early in the second, and with spectacular goaltending from both sides the score remained 1-1 after 60 minutes.

Connor Hughes continued to show why he is one of the top goaltenders in the Champions Hockey League. After allowing the first goal 11:38 into the contest, the Canadian turned aside every shot to keep his team’s deficit to one goal. Fribourg would eventually get on the board when Ryan Gunderson found the back of the net three minutes into the second, as both sides traded chances up until the final horn.

For the Swiss to have success moving forward, scoring will need to pick up. Fribourg are currently ranked 24th in goals for per game with 1.86 and their powerplay is 15th with a 21.05 conversion rate. Fortunately, Fribourg have fared better in scoring on home ice where they managed to secure three goals in two out of their three home fixtures.

The Finns were not to be underestimated in their matchup against a strong Swiss side. After securing 12 points in the Group Stage and earning four victories in the process, Jukurit showcased the skillset that has them on the cusp of Quarter-Final play in their CHL debut. They defended well and netminder Frans Tuohimaa was equally sharp in net, halting 25 of Fribourg’s 26 shots en route to the 1-1 tie.

Going forward, though, Jukurit would do well to generate more shots on net as they only managed to test Hughes 13 times. This can be achieved by getting more opportunities on the powerplay where they’re ranked seventh with 24% conversion rate.