A three-goal second period was the difference as Red Bull Munich got a big 4-2 victory over Fribourg-Gottéron, and will now start their home half of the Round of 16 with a two-goal advantage.

The first period was punctuated by a strange goal from each team that were both unassisted.

Just past the seven-minute mark, Killian Mottet intercepted a Munich clearing pass in the neutral zone and skated in on Danny aus den Birken. Backchecking defenceman Darryl Boyle knocked the puck off his stick when Mottet tried to make a move, but then Boyle accidentally knocked the puck into his own net.

Then just past the 16-minute mark it was Justin Schütz knocking the puck off the stick of a Fribourg defenceman. As Reto Berra went to poke-check the loose puck, Schütz leaned forward and poked the puck through the goalie’s legs.

Munich then broke the game open in the second. First it was Jonathon Blum on a long shot that went through Berra’s legs at 25:35. Fribourg thought they’d tied it just 30 seconds later when Dave Sutter put the puck into an empty net, but it was called back as aus den Birken had been ploughed out of his crease.

Then Frederik Tiffels with his CHL-leading sixth goal of the competition and Konrad Abeltshauser made it 4-1 before the second intermission. To start the third period, Berra was lifted after allowing four goals on 21 shots and replaced with Connor Hughes, who was perfect the rest of the way.

David Desharnais got one back for Fribourg in the third period on a penalty shot, which was awarded after he had been hauled down on a breakaway. Then on a couple of late power plays, Fribourg took the risk of pulling Hughes for an extra attacker with the Return Game still to be played. However, neither side scored further and the First Game ended with Munich up by two.