Both clubs come into the game holding a 2-2 record and separated by a single point in the Group B standings as Grizzlys Wolfsburg travel to Finland to take on TPS Turku in a battle for the last Playoff place of their group.

The Finnish side have improved upon their performance from last year, notching two wins thus far and giving themselves a chance to advance to the Playoffs for the first time since the 2016/17 season, but they haven’t wowed the crowd completely. Turku’s 20% powerplay conversion rate positions them in 14th place while their 83.33% penalty kill is ranked 16th. Both numbers could be critical moving forward for the Finns who are scoring at a rate of 2.00 goals per game – good enough for 22nd in the CHL this season.

In their last match-up against EV Zug, the Swiss outshot the Finns 32-19 and outscored them 6-1. For Turku to move on, they'll need their top players in Anthony Rech and Valtteri Pulli – both of whom lead the club in domestic scoring with seven points – to increase their production. As of now, Rech has 1 + 1 for two points while Pulli hasn’t notched a point yet this season.

Wolfsburg’s last contest against Olimpija Ljubljana was a decidedly one-sided affair with the Germans taking it 4-0. Through their first four games, Wolfsburg have demonstrated their ability to dominate play and dictate the pace, but they’ve also been the recipients of some bad bounces – including a 4-3 OT loss to Zug. With an opportunity to qualify for a Playoffs place, the Germans will have to address some key areas in their game, namely their 20th-ranked powerplay.

Fortunately, Wolfsburg have fared much better at 5-on-5 hockey, scoring 16 goals for a 4.00 goals per game average which is tied for 8th. As long as they can transition that same success to their special teams, the Germans should be in good shape.