- Vienna were beaten at home by Frölunda on opening day
- Aalborg got their first ever CHL point with an OT loss in Zurich
- Capitals need home win to keep qualification prospects alive
Vienna will be looking to punish the new Danes on the block by further postponing their first three points in the tournament.
After a disappointing 4-1 loss against former champions Frölunda, Vienna now find themselves facing off against an opponent who dramatically forced Champions Hockey League veterans ZSC Lions Zurich into overtime before finally admitting defeat themselves. The near upset was caused by CHL rookies, the Aalborg Pirates, who led Zurich 5-3 with only eleven minutes left to play. Both results will have provided the Capitals with a feast of food for thought in the defensive department after they conceded three goals in the short space of just two and a half minutes against the Indians.
"They're a strong team, but we can match up to them by using our speed to our advantage"James Morgan (Head Coach, Aalborg Pirates)
The two Group A sides will play each other back to back with Vienna the first to host Aalborg, who are only the third Danish team to play in the tournament. This means the Pirates, whose squad have an average age of only 23, will have to wait until Gameday 3 to play at Cool East Arena, where they won their first Danish championship in April after 37 years of patience.
At such an early stage in the tournament, there’s still plenty of time for the Pirates to cause more trouble in paradise against teams who they’ll feel have been on vacation too long. Vienna, on the other hand, will be looking to use their experience to take the edge out of the Aalborg Pirates and shipwreck their first European adventure.
"The Pirates play a very physical game, but they're a team you have to beat if you want to make the next round"Dave Cameron (Head Coach, Vienna Capitals)