Read below for information on the Round of 32 series between Linkoping HC and HC Davos. Linkoping won 9-7 to advance to the Round of 16.
Preview
Linkoping HC and HC Davos are two teams that had very different CHL experiences last year. While Linkoping were unceremoniously bounced in the Round of 32, HC Davos rode a wave of momentum all the way to the Semi-Finals. This year they were both good in the group stage, but Linkoping looked more solid from top to bottom by taking all 12 points, while Davos struggled on the road, especially in Stockholm, where they lost big. This series begins in Davos, where the Swiss club will definitely want to get the leg up, as they don't want to be going back to Sweden with a deficit to make up. Davos have Swedish internationals Dick Axelsson and Daniel Rahimi in their lineup – the latter a former Linkoping player – and former Linkoping junior goalie Joren van Potelberghe.
Closer look: Linkoping HC
(4-0-0-0, 10 points, 16:5, 1st in Group K)
Linkoping HC and JYP Jyvaskyla were expected to emerge from Group K, and that's exactly what happened. While the Gap Rapaces put up good fights, they were unable to take any points from the Nordic giants. In their first CHL game of the season, Linkoping won a 2-0 war of attrition in Gap. They then took a big step towards winning the group with a 4-1 win in Jyvaskyla. They then did it on home ice as well, beating the same two teams in reverse order 4-3 and 6-1 to take the maximum 12 points. Linkoping were dominant offensively and defensively, and can get scoring from so many sources. Their power play is especially dangerous. Things get difficult right away in the Round of 32 though, as they take on last year's Semi-Finalists, HC Davos. At the same time, Linkoping would like to erase some bad memories of last year's tournament, when they were devastated in the Round of 32 by Bili Tygri Liberec.
Broc
Little
5+0, +1
Top Forward & CRAMO Top Scorer: Broc Little has not assisted in any goals this season in the Champions Hockey League. Despite this, the 28-year-old American left-winger, who is now entering his third season in Linkoping, is the team's top scorer with 5 goals. Linkoping have two lines of dangerous forwards, which include the likes of Niclas Bergfors, Henrik Tornqvist, Niklas Persson and former CHL MVP Mathis Olimb, so there's no easy solution to shutting down this offence.
Kristian
Nakyva
1+4, +2
Top Defenceman: Just like Little, Kristian Nakyva has 5 points in four games. Two seasons ago, Nakyva was brilliant on defence for Lulea Hockey, scoring 12 points in 13 games en route to the CHL title. Last year, the Finnish D-man played in the AHL, but now he's back in Sweden and complements a Linkoping team that has numerous scoring threats, including from the back end. This is a defensive unit that already has Gustav Forsling, who was the team's CHL top scorer last year, and who has 3 assists so far in this year's campaign.
Marcus
Hogberg
90.62 %
Top Goaltender: With Linkoping HC’s great start in the CHL, neither Jacob Johansson nor Marcus Hogberg have had to be excellent in goal. They haven't been bad, though, allowing only 5 goals in four games. The job will get tougher for the two youngsters now, though. While Johansson's CHL statistics are better in the two games he played, 21-year-old Hogberg split the duties in Linkoping with David Rautio the last two years, so the starting job is expected to be his this year ahead of Johansson, who spent the last two seaons in the Allsvenskan.
Click here for team statistics.
Closer look: HC Davos
(2-1-0-1, 8 points, 10:10, 2nd in Group B)
HC Davos were a different story at home than on the road in the group stage, taking the maximum 6 ponts at Valiant Arena, but only 2 away from home. They began with a 4-1 home-ice win over the Rouen Dragons, but followed that up with a 6-0 drubbing in Stockholm at the hands of Djurgarden. They returned home with a much different effort against the Swedish club, winning 3-1, and finished off with an overtime win in Rouen. Their 8 points tied them atop Group B, but Djurgarden got first place on the grounds of out-scoring Davos in their two encounters. Now they face another Swedish club – one that was perfect in the group stage. They have quite a task ahead of them if they want to return to the CHL Semi-Finals.
Perttu
Lindgren
2+2, +1
Top Forward & CRAMO Top Scorer: Goals haven't been easy to come by for Davos so far in this years CHL, with only 10 in their first four games. One player who has been on the scoresheet in three of the four games is the ever-dangerous Perttu Lindgren. The 29-year-old Finn has 4 points to his name and has looked very lively, especially in front of his own fans in the Valiant Arena in Davos. With 62 points (22+40) in 50 games last year, he knows that a lot of expectations fall on his broad shoulders, and with a year-on-year shooting percentage up around 15%, his teammates will also know how important it will be just to feed him the puck. That task falls on Swedish centre Dick Axelsson and Swiss winger Marc Wieser.
Daniel
Rahimi
0+0, even
Top Defenceman: HC Davos have a very big defensive corps, and not many are bigger out there than new Swedish-Iranian signing Daniel Rahimi. This no-nonsense D-man stands at 191cm, and weighs an equally imposing 98kg. He is the man to clear the crease, giving his goalies a clear view of the shooter, and making the slot a nasty place to be for opposition forwards. He looks the part, and so far has played the part, yet hasn't spent one minute in the penalty box – coach Arno Del Curto will be hoping for more of the same from his new import signing, and the fact that he played the last four seasons in Linkoping will give him special insight into what to expect from this tough opponent.
Joren
van Potelberghe
93.15 %
Top Goaltender: With the departure of the brilliant Leonardo Genoni to Bern, Davos had a big gap to fill in net, and currently have two giants battling it out for the starting role. In line with the current trend of tall goalies, 19-year-old Joren van Potelberghe stands at 191cm, and is both one year younger, and amazingly a whole 4cm shorter than his rival, last year's back-up Gilles Senn. It's really anyone's call as to who will take over the role of starting netminder this season, but whoever does, surely knows that the slightest dip in form will allow the other one back in. Having spent the last three seasons playing for Linkoping's U18 and U20 teams, there's an excellent chance the Detroit Red Wings draft pick will get the nod on 4 October.
Click here for team statistics.