Kometa Brno defeated EV Zug 4-3 in a wild game that included great goaltending at both ends and four power-play goals and one shorthanded.

A great effort from Luboš Horký opened the scoring for Kometa, as the speedy winger circled the net and attempted a wraparound, which was denied by Tobias Stephan. However, the rebound came to Jan Süss, who banged it home. The teams then traded numerous chances for the rest of the opening period, but both Stephan and Lukáš Dostál were brilliant, keeping the score 1-0.

It wouldn’t be until the 29th minute that Zug evened it, when Viktor Stålberg recovered a shot off the end boards and managed to find enough space between Dostál and the near post to slide it in. Then a couple of penalties to Zug late in the second period would produce a goal for each team. First Alexandre Maillet gave Kometa the lead back on the power play, going to his backhand to avoid Stephan’s poke-check and going upstairs. Then Zug tied it again shorthanded when Stalberg and Reto Suri breaking in 2-on-0, with Stalberg feeding Suri and Dostál having no chance.

With two of six periods played, the score was tied, but Kometa outscored Zug 2-1 in their final home period in the Round of 16, with all three goals coming on the power play. With Zug getting three penalties at 48:19 – Johann Morant a double-minor for boarding and Tobias Bernhard Fohrler a minor for tripping – it took just 17 seconds for Kometa to cash in on the two-man advantage, with Marcel Haščák beating Stephan with a high wrister. Then following another Zug penalty it was Haščák from Vojtech Němec again on a very similar play, only this time his wrister beat the Zug keeper short side.

It looked like Kometa was on the verge of taking a two-goal lead to Switzerland, but David McIntyre’s power-play goal with 40 seconds to play brought Zug to within one – a goal that might turn out to be very big.