With one set of games to go in Group J, the order of finish is already known and the winner is Skelleftea AIK. They'll want to keep their perfect record intact as they travel to Helsinki to take on IFK, who can secure a wild-card berth in the final 16 with a win.
by Derek O'Brien, with contribution from Henrik Lundqvist
Heading into Game Day 5, it was already decided which two teams would finish in the top two and which two teams would be at the bottom of Group J, but the placing between them was still to be decieded. Skelleftea AIK hosted IFK Helskinki in the first of a home-and-home series to decide the group title, with Skelleftea holding a one-point lead. Likewise, SonderskjyE Vojens held a one-point lead over Krefeld Pinguine in the race for third place.
After an evenly played first period in which no goals were scored, Skelleftea out-shot IFK 27–9 over the final 40 minutes and out-scored them 3–0 to keep their perfect record intact and clinch the Group J title. Daniel Widing scored both of Skelleftea's goals in the second period, while Erik Hanses made 17 saves for the shutout. IFK will now try to assure themselves a wild-card spot with some points in the last game.
"This was a tough game. We felt a little better in the second and third periods," said Widing. Describing his goals, he said, "Two great passes. The first one was on the power play. A cross pass. The second was a great pass and open net. It's hard to make a mistake on the second."
"So far we've played five games in Finland. Those teams were nothing like Skelleftea," Finnish head coach Antti Tormanen said, comparing the defending SHL champions to the teams IFK have played in Liiga so far this season. "That was the right outcome. They were a much better team. It is important to play in the CHL. We want to have success."
In the match-up between the group's other two teams, Krefeld and SonderskjyE were searching for their first wins. Krefeld led 2–1 after two periods on home ice but SonderjyskE scored three times in the third period to win 4–3. Cory Quirk assisted on three of the Danish club's goals, including captain Kim Lykkeskov's game-winner with 5:06 to play. Adam Courchaine had two goals and one assist for Krefeld.
The same two match-ups will re-occur on Game Day 6. With Skelleftea already having secured the group title, IFK Helsinki will be gunning on home ice to try to wrap up a wild-card spot. Two points will do it for sure. Meanwhile, SonderskjyE and Krefeld will finish third and fourth, respectively, no matter what happens in the last game, but Krefeld will at least try to finish their CHL run on a winning note.
Group J standings
| Team | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF:GA | GDF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skelleftea AIK | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:3 | +14 | 15 |
| IFK Helsinki | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 26:12 | +14 | 11 |
| SonderjyskE Vojens | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11:26 | -15 | 4 |
| Krefeld Pinguine | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8:21 | -13 | 0 |
Schedule and results
| Date | Time | Group | Home | Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21.08.2014 | 19:30 | Group J | Krefeld Pinguine | Skelleftea AIK | 1:2 (1:0, 0:1, 0:1) |
| 21.08.2014 | 20:00 | Group J | SonderjyskE Vojens | IFK Helsinki | 4:5 (3:0, 1:2, 0:2, 0:0, 0:1) |
| 23.08.2014 | 17:05 | Group J | SonderjyskE Vojens | Skelleftea AIK | 1:4 (0:2, 0:1, 1:1) |
| 23.08.2014 | 17:45 | Group J | Krefeld Pinguine | IFK Helsinki | 3:5 (1:0, 1:1, 1:4) |
| 04.09.2014 | 18:30 | Group J | IFK Helsinki | Krefeld Pinguine | -:- |
| 04.09.2014 | 20:05 | Group J | Skelleftea AIK | SonderjyskE Vojens | 4:1 (1:0, 1:1, 2:0) |
| 06.09.2014 | 14:35 | Group J | Skelleftea AIK | Krefeld Pinguine | 4:0 (2:0, 1:0, 1:0) |
| 06.09.2014 | 16:00 | Group J | IFK Helsinki | SonderjyskE Vojens | 10:1 (4:0, 4:1, 2:0) |
| 24.09.2014 | 19:30 | Group J | Krefeld Pinguine | SonderjyskE Vojens | 3:4 (2:1, 0:0, 1:3) |
| 24.09.2014 | 20:05 | Group J | Skelleftea AIK | IFK Helsinki | 3:0 (0:0, 2:0, 1:0) |
| 07.10.2014 | 18:30 | Group J | IFK Helsinki | Skelleftea AIK | |
| 07.10.2014 | 19:30 | Group J | SonderjyskE Vojens | Krefeld Pinguine |
Game Day 6 possibilities
For an explanation of how the final 16 teams are determined, click here.
Skelleftea AIK: away vs IFK Helsinki. Have already clinched 1st place.
IFK Helsinki: home vs Skelleftea. Can clinch 2nd place wild-card with at least 2 points. A wild-card spot is still likely but not guaranteed with 1 point, less likely with 0 points.