A strong start ended in a weak finish for Tappara Tampere as they travel to Sweden down a goal in their Round of 16 series against Färjestad Karlstad. The Finns took a two-goal lead but the Swedes answered with three of their own to gain a narrow 3-2 edge heading into the Return Game.

Färjestad's seventh victory was a testament to the club's ability to find ways to win. A two-goal deficit disappeared as the Swedes' first-ranked offence eventually broke through the Finns' 14th-place defence midway through the second when Oskar Steen got things going for the visitors. The Swedes' powerplay managed to do the rest, securing both the equaliser and game-winner in the third to cap off a win that sees them one game away from advancing to the Quarter-Finals for the second time in as many years.

The Swedes' success so far has been a product of consistency spread throughout the line-up. Steen is currently ranked fifth in the league in points with ten (3G, 7A) with teammate and fellow forward Michael Lindqvist not far behind with nine (1G, 8A). On the backend, Axel Bergkvist has been a strong presence and was instrumental in helping Färjestad gain the lead against Tappara - assisting on the first powerplay tally and securing the second. Their goaltending is among the best with Maxime Lagacé one of two netminders to have won every contest he's suited up for; their defence has also been lights out and is tied for first in goals against with 1.71.

Looking ahead, the Swedish side have cemented their form as the top team in the league and for good reason. Few holes exist in their game, and whichever ones do, Färjestad have found ways to compensate.

For Tappara, the positive is that they were able to keep the game close despite being outplayed for most of the fixture. After narrowly advancing to the Round of 16, the Finns' chances of success were suspect, but a strong defensive game from their first contest should put some of those concerns to rest. However, Tappara's glaring inability to generate chances - and capitalise on the ones they do create - should be their main priority heading into their Return Game.

Defenceman Hugo Gallet was the bright spot for the Finns, helping on both tallies including securing his third of the competition to give his team a 2-0 advantage, but a more aggressive, balanced attack will be needed against a stingy Färjestad defence. In net, a more consistent effort from their starting netminder, Juha Metsola, would also go a ways in helping their cause as Metsola has been middling stat-wise this season sporting an 89.03 SV% and a 2.41 GAA.