ZSC Lions Zurich won their third straight game and finish first in Group D after a 2-0 win over Lukko Rauma. Read more in Gamecentre. 

From all appearances, ZSC Lions Zurich entered this game with Group D well in control with 8 points, well ahead of Lukko Rauma with 1 and ERC Ingolstadt with 0. However, when considering that this was their last game, while Lukko and Inglostadt still have to face each other twice, they really did need to win this one to ensure that they would still be first when the group stage ended.After a strong performance on home ice and a 2-0 win over Lukko, they can breathe easy. For now.

Spurred on by their home fans at Hallenstadion, they had a strong first period, out-shooting Lukko 11-6, but neither Kaapo Kahkonen nor Lukas Flueler relented. In the second period, however, they took control. 

Zurich opened the scoring in the 25th minute on a brilliant passing play in the Lukko zone. From the boards, Luca Cunti fed Severin Blindenbacher at the top of the slot. Blindenbacher fired a high, one-time blast toward the net that Chris Baltisberger expertly deflected at waist height and in. Late in the period, Lukko looked for the equalizer on the power play, but Fabrice Herzog pounced on a loose puck near his own blueline and led a shorthanded rush the other way. Entering the Lukko zone 2-on-1, Herzog faked pass, then fired a wrister over Kahkonen's glove to make it 2-0 after 40 minutes.

"I blocked the shot, the puck was just lying in front of me, I was able to break away while (Matthias) Seger pulled the defenceman towards him so all that was left for me was to shoot and I scored," Herzog later described.

Lukko never really threatened in the third period, with only six shots on Flueler – 20 in the game – as the Bern goalie picked up his second shutout in as many games this CHL season. Lukko actually did beat him with a slapper as time ran out, but it was too late to beat the horn.

"Our first period was fine for us, but then the second period, especially after the first goal, they got a grip on the game and we didn't get enough offence after that," assessed Lukko coach Juha Vuori. "That's also the second time against Zurich that they scored a man down. We need to go over those kinds of things before the next game and get the confidence back up again." 

For Lukko, the next two games with Ingolstadt are big, because they will settle which team finishes second and advances, and which finishes third and goes home. 

Lukko captain Janne Niskala explained, "It's quite simple, we need to win one game against Ingolstadt on Tuesday when we play them. We've watched a few highlights when they played Zurich so we know what to expect."

The outlook is rosier from the Lions' perspective.

"It's a big win for us," Zurich coach Hans Wallson stated. "We had a chance to win the group tonight and we played a pretty good game overall – not so good in the first but we got better as it went on. We found a way to win and that's what it's all about, so I'm happy about that. And we won the group so we're going to be seeded – so perfect!"