- Växjö lost home opener to Bern
- Salzburg won in Cardiff
- Lakers eliminated Red Bulls in last year's Round of 16
The Växjö Lakers will have to bounce back from their opening loss against SC Bern if they hope to finish top of their group for the fourth consecutive season.
The Lakers fell short to the Swiss side, who scored the decisive goal with three minutes left on the clock to give the previous finalists a rare loss in the Group Stage. The SHL champions won’t be hitting the panic button just yet as time is on their side, with five games still left to play. Coach Sam Hallam will have to act quickly in ironing out anyway mistakes if they are to reach the same heights they achieved earlier this year, with the fixture against the Cardiff Devils haunting them on the horizon.
“Red Bull Salzburg were incredibly tough opposition to us last time we met, and down in Salzburg they played really good offensive hockey.”Sam Hallam (Head Coach, Växjö Lakers)
In their way stands an in-form Salzburg team, fresh from a 5-3 victory against the Devils, who came so close to knocking out the Swedish giants in the tournament last year.
“Växjö have a lot of young players on their roster – this year another 18-year-old forward was selected in the first round of the NHL Draft – and that makes things especially interesting.”Greg Poss (Head Coach, Red Bull Salzburg)
The Lakers arrived at Ice Arena Salzburg for the First Leg as favourites but left with a souvenir in the form of a 2-1 loss after being stunned by two first period goals, including a rocket of a wrister from defenceman Alexander Pallestrang. The Lakers remained positive heading into the second leg knowing they outshot the Austrians but again found themselves two goals down on aggregate after the first period. A powerplay goal halfway through the second period from 17-year-old Dominik Bokk, who has since been drafted in the NHL by the St Louis Blues, sparked a comeback for the Lakers who fought from behind for the second time to win the game 6-5 on aggregate.
The first match of Gameday 2 promises to be a showstopper if the standard matches anywhere near that of the encounter last year. Salzburg will have to deliver the goods away from home in the Vida Arena this time around if they are to achieve some redemption against a team whose fortress has never been more vulnerable.