It's been a disastrous year for Finland's representatives on the pan-European stage. It all started when reigning European Club Champions Tappara Tampere finished 18th in the Regular Season Standings, two spots out of the Playoffs. The Lahti Pelicans and Ilves Tampere both dropped out in the Round of 16, leaving Lukko as the only Finnish club as early as the Quarter-Finals. 

The team that finished third in the Regular Season this season with five wins and one loss in six games have shouldered the responsibility of representing their nation well, managing to hold off a very strong Dynamo Pardubice side to secure a spot in the Final Four. 

Lukko were especially strong in the First Game, scoring six into Pardubice's net in Czechia and that's been a common theme for the Finns who haven't lost a game away from home all season long. Stats-wise, Lukko have scored 33 goals and let in 24 across ten games this season, good for a +9 goal difference.

Their PP unit has been clicking at a slightly sub-par 13.51% (though still better than Genève's 11.90%) and their penalty kill unit has been operating at just over 80%, which is respectable. Lukko first-liners Sebastian Repo (4G,5A) and Brayden Burke (5G,3A) lead the offensive charge up front but blue-liner Tarmo Reunanen steals the show with four goals and six assists in nine games and with an average of over 20 minutes of ice time per game, he's been hands down one of the best D-men in the CHL this season - watch out for him!

Daniel Lebedeff has been the main man in net, but a star showing from Canadian Samuel Harvey in the QFs Return Game in which he made a huge 39 saves could put his role in doubt. Either way, both netminders have been sturdy for the Finns. 

With a place in the Final just 120 minutes of game time away, what do the Finns need to do? Start on the attack, not backed up in their own zone. That's something that has helped Lukko in games this season - when they've come out on the front foot, they've usually had better results.

Genève-Servette just keep on rolling on. After beating DEL champions Red Bull Munich in the Round of 16, the reigning NL champions dispatched another domestic champion - this time SHL champions the Växjö Lakers, knocking them out of the competition with a 6-4 aggregate win. 

This isn't the first time they'll face Lukko this season, the two teams clashed back on Game Day 6 of the Regular Season for a game that ended 3-2 for the Finns. 

Early mistakes cost Genève the win that night but a big part of their troubles was a near-perfect Daniel Lebedeff who only faltered twice on 41 shots on goal, including making several timely saves to help lead his team to an important +3 points.

Lebedeff aside, the Swiss team were on point, dominating Lukko with shots on net and controlling the game from the 15th minute onwards. Taking the Finns on again, Genève just need to sharpen up their finishing, movement in front of the net and run an extra PP drill or two (special unit play has been a weak spot of Genève's otherwise solid stats record this season). 

Tanner Richard (2G,10A) leads the team in scoring, and the entire CHL scoring leaderboard for that matter, with a very nice 12 points in ten games played while Finnish D-man Sami Vatanen (2G,8A) has been as helpful up front as he has been on the blue line with a combined 10 points good for a point per game average.

Robert Mayer, who has played for the Swiss club in both of their previous CHL appearances in 2014/15 and 2015/16, has been their go-to goalie for games on Europe's biggest club ice hockey stage but with new signing Jussi Olkinuora making an immediate impact in the Quarter-Finals Return Game, it's a toss-up between the two of them for the SFs duties. As usual when breaking down rosters of Europe's very best hockey teams, Genève will be in good hands regardless of who gets the nod. 

Genève won their first-ever Swiss championship last season. If they make it to the CHL Final this year, they'll become the first Swiss team to ever make it this far in the competition and that's got to be a huge motivating factor for the club from one of the country's biggest cities - let's see how that turns out!