Undefeated Ilves Tampere welcomed Vítkovice Ridera to the Nokia Arena on Game Day 4 of the Champions Hockey League. The Finns had a flawless record of three consecutive victories leading up to the game and were determined to keep their winning streak alive with their home fans behind them. Meanwhile, the visiting Czechs arrived with two wins under their belt and were eager to bounce back from their lone loss against the Lahti Pelicans in order to improve their overall position on the Regular Season Standings.

The opening goal came early into the game, following a tripping penalty against Petr Kodýtek. This penalty provided Vítkovice with an extra man advantage, which they utilised to make it a 1-0 game when a slap shot from the defensive circles found its mark when Marek Kalus redirected it straight into the back of the net.

The second goal of the game was scored at 13:27 with both teams back at full strength. The visitors won a face-off in Ilves' defensive zone, leading to a swift shot from the blue line that managed to elude goalie Jonas Gunnarsson. Vítkovice demonstrated remarkable discipline throughout the period as they managed to avoid any penalty calls.

However, the team’s grade A behaviour started to waver during the following 20 minutes of play. This lapse proved costly as they soon found themselves down 5-on-3. During this time, the Czechs faced difficulty with maintaining their defensive stance, with one defenceman even losing his stick.

Ilves seized the opportunity confidently and managed to score what seemed like an inevitable goal. The visitor’s struggles persisted as less than a minute later (36:57), the game was tied thanks to Jani Nyman who made it 2-2.

The closing period brought many opportunities for both sides, but the best attempts were swallowed by the netminders sending the game into overtime.

Overtime offered several shot attempts, but as the clock ran out, no winner emerged. Consequently, the game proceeded to a shootout, which ultimately resulted in a victory for the home team.

Jonas Gunnarsson, guarding the Finnish goal, successfully stopped all shootout attempts by Vítkovice, while Lancaster and Stránský secured the victory for their team with their shootout goals.