It’s been a long journey for both these sides since the opening matchday thriller that they both played huge roles in. Aalborg were unlucky that day, finding themselves two goals ahead of Zurich in the third before misfortune struck them and denied them of their first Champions Hockey League win. ZSC won’t be phased by the manner of their victory that day but will be reluctant when it comes to relying on mistakes from the opposite team to find a way back into a game. They will also hope that an MVP performance from Christian Marti, who scored two goals including the winner, won’t be necessary to bury the Pirates.

They return to face each other after sharing similar luck against the other sides in the Group; both achieved an OT win while enduring a loss in very different fashions. Vienna punished Aalborg for stealing the extra point off them in the first encounter by putting six past the Danish side, to tarnish their previously unscathed sails. The Lions similarly paid the price for causing an defeating Frölunda, who responded with a 4-2 victory in Gothenburg to throw the competition for second place wide open.

Any points would be accepted from this game by Aalborg, who’ve enjoyed ups and downs in their first ever CHL season. Zurich will want to dampen their experience by proving that the first game was a fluke and winning without the need for overtime.