The final four games of the Champions Hockey League schedule will be played on Wednesday and two of them are huge. The winners of Group A and G are still to be decided, which will round out the field of 16 teams that will advance to the playoff stage.

by Luke Fisher

The final four games of the group stage in this year’s Champions Hockey League take place today. It’s all to play for in Group A between Kärpät and Liberec, while in Group B Färjestad could steal in to runners’ up spot at the final buzzer. In Group G, Sparta Prague must win to finish top.

Group A

Kärpät Oulu – Bílí Tygři Liberec

A win for Kärpät in any form secures them top spot in Group A, and the automatic berth into the next round. Liberec must beat their Finnish opponents in regulation time to take top spot, otherwise they’d both end up with 11 points and Kärpät have the better head-to-head record. Kärpät ran out 4–3 winners in Liberec the last time these two sides met, and raced into a 4–0 lead in less than half an hour before the hosts started a fight back. Neither of these teams would make it through as a lucky runner up with their maximum points totals, so it really is “winner takes all” tonight.

HC Košice – Kölner Haie

After last night’s games, Kölner Haie are eliminated – they can only reach a maximum of 10 points with a win, but that would not be enough to go through as one of the best-placed runners up. With a regulation win, Košice can move into third place, taking the tie-breaker with a better finish in their national league last year as Slovak champions.

Group B

Vålerenga Oslo – Färjestad Karlstad

Vienna’s win over ZSC Lions last night confirmed them as group winners. It also leaves the door open for Färjestad to sneak through into second place in tonight’s final group game. However they’d only be playing for pride, as 11 points would not be enough for them to advance further.

Vålerenga, for their part, will be playing for their first CHL points. If they do manage to get themselves on the board, it will leave Briançon Diables Rouges as the only side to end the group stage without a point to their name.

Group G

Sparta Prague – Adler Mannheim

Mannheim are already eliminated, making this game all about Sparta. A home win for the Czech side will secure them top spot, as Sparta have a better head-to-head record against the Växjö Lakers, who sit three points ahead of them. If the game is taken to overtime, it’ll be the Swedish club who go into the next round. Anything less than three points for Sparta will see them eliminated, as they won’t have enough points to go through as a best runner up team. With a win, either in regulation or extra time, Mannheim overtake KalPa Kuopio for third place in the group.

Adler took a 3–2 shootout win over Sparta last time the teams played each other in Mannheim, while the Sparta have failed to win ether of their last two CHL games.