Färjestad Karlstad overcame a 3-1 deficit in the second to eventually take a one-goal lead into their Champions Hockey League Round of 16 Return Game against Mountfield HK with a 4-3 final.

While not the outcome they were hoping for, Mountfield still managed to secure three tallies and keep the difference to one goal heading into their rematch. The Czechs enter Tuesday’s tilt ranked second in goals for per game with 4.57 and they demonstrated their prowess in the offensive zone, tying the matchup in the first and then scoring two unanswered to take the lead in the middle stanza.

Mountfield’s play at even strength was equally impressive, but their powerplay needs some addressing as they went 0-4 on the man-advantage. Similarly, their defence needs a more complete effort after they failed to stave off Farjestad’s attack, allowing the Swedish side to score three unanswered goals.

A fast start quickly took a sour turn for the hosts. After opening the scoring thanks to Joakim Nygård’s tally, the Czechs were the ones to find the net over the next 30 minutes. Fortunately, Färjestad showed what a full 60-minute effort looks like, generating three more of their own. As they travel to Czechia, they’ll need to summon that same effort if they hope to hold off a desperate opponent looking to advance.

This starts with their defence and goaltending which has only allowed 2.14 goals against per game, ranked fifth. The Swedes were also the beneficiaries of scoring up and down the line-up. Last game, Färjestad saw four players enter the goal column. Getting these contributions on Tuesday will be a huge boon to a team that has yet to see Quarter-Finals action in the CHL.