In the first game of this Round of 16 match-up, Kometa Brno got the job done on home ice, winning 5-1 to put themselves in good a good position to advance to the Quarter-Finals for the second straight season. This sets up Tappara Tampere to once again fall at this stage of the tournament, but Captain Kristian Kuusela is nonetheless confident in his team’s chances of staging a comeback.

Tappara’s Liiga season has been inconsistent so far, but since the first leg they’ve been strong, winning three times in regulation time to climb into third place in the standings. Kometa’s Extraliga season has also been inconsistent, and they’ve dropped two of three since the break. They currently sit sixth in the standings.