Group E

On Tuesday night Stockholm Djurgården lost again to Finnish group winner, Tappara Tampere, the current club of Swede, Elias Fälth (pictured). That meant the Swedish club crashed out of the CHL, letting in 3 goals in the final period in Finland exactly as they had done in the previous game. Whilst their season has started well in the Swedish Hockey League, you can be certain the Stockholm team will be running defense drills all week as they let in 10 goals in these two games.

Djurgården's losses made space for their Nordic neighbours, Storhamar Hamar of Norway to gain a well fought for place in the second round of the CHL. They carved out an impressive 6-2 victory at home to last year's semifinalists, Ocelari Trinic. It was the younger brother of the club's homeboy hero, Patrick Thoresen, who kept the scoreboard ticking over. Steffen Thoresen gained three points on the night (2G+1A) bettering his brother's 1G+1A.

Group C

HC Bolzano Foxes needed a win at home in Italy to be certain of going through against Polish team, GKS Tychy. Everything seemed to be going according to plan when the home team were 4-0 with half the game to go. Former Ottawa Senator, Michael Blunden, lead the way with 2 of those goals. But whatever was said in that Polish timeout following the fourth goal, should be noted down by every manager, because they came out on fire, scoring their first goal within 21 seconds and after just 12 minutes of play the score was level at 4-4!

But is was not to be a miracle on ice for GKS as the last quarter of the game belonged to the home team, in particular two players. It was Finn Matti Kuparinen was scored both goals assisted each time by Italian international, Luca Frigo, so that the EBEL champions won 6-4 on the night and take a well deserved place in the knockout section of the CHL.

All the deciding matches in Game Day 6 of the CHL took place on Tuesday 16 October, whilst the games on Wednesday 17 decided the final rankings in the groups as well as giving some extra goals and assists for the those competitions.

Group A

It was a night dominated by back to back wins showing the importance of momentum and self belief in this critical matches. So in Vienna it was the visitors ZSC Zurich Lions that took down the Capitals again, this time 6-2. This took Swede Fredrik Pettersson (pictured) and the Swiss team through to the knockout stages at the expense of their Austrian rivals. And it was Swiss Olympian Denis Hollenstein impressed for the Lions with four assists on the night in his first season for the club. Defeated Vienna Capitals can take home the consolation prize that forward, Peter Schneider, currently leads the Top Goal Scorers in the competition with 7.

Group H

HC Pilzen are through to the knockout stages by virtue of being the only team with a perfect record with five wins out of five, including this week’s win 6-4 at home against HC05 Banská Bystrica. Their Czech forward David Stach also leads the competition in Total Points with 10 (3G plus 7A).

The remaining place will be decided in Finland next week when HC Lugano take on reigning champions JYP in a winner takes all encounter. The current title holders are on the back-foot after losing 0-2 in Switzerland this week where Swiss Olympian Gregory Hofmann was the game changer netting both goals. The Swiss team is also the current home of Swede Linus Klasen, who played the SHL between 2007-2014 for clubs including Malmö Redhawks.

Next week sees the final matches of the group stages and the knockout phase begins on 6 November.

Group G

This is another group which will not need the final game to decide who goes through. Game Day 5 may have seen a 3-1 home win by last year's finalists, Växjö Lakers over Cardiff Devils, but the Swedish club will not be going further than the group stages this year. That's because Swiss SC Bern and Austrian Red Bull Salzburg drew 1-1 in regulation taking a home a point a piece. The extra point was won from the shoot out when Swiss Olympian Gräten Haas netted for Bern after teammate and Slovakian Olympic captain, Jan Mursak, leveled for the home side with 7:23 left on the clock in regulation.

Group F

Finnish club, Kärpät Oulu, made certain of entry to the second round with a home win against Mountfield HK, who cannot qualify now.

In the other match in France Rouen Dragons had a magical third period where they put 3 past rivals Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers to run out winners 4-2 at home. That forces an exciting return match next week in Germany where only the winner will qualify for the knockout rounds.

Group E

The only team certain to qualify with one match to go is Finnish Tampere Tappara who won a close fought game 5-3 away from home against Stockholm Djurgården IF. That means the Swedish club must win in the return fixture next week in Finland to guarantee to qualifying for the knockout stages.

Patrik Thoresen kept Norwegian club Storhamar Hamar's hopes of second round play alive with a game winning goal with just 1:21 left on the clock. They overcame a 1-2 deficient coming into the last period against last year's semi-finalists, Ocelari Trinic. Thoresen continues to impress on his return to his youth club cementing his reputation as one of the best players the country has ever produced.

Group D

Like Group B, we now know who will go forward to the knockout round from this group. Czech Kometa Brno may have lost 2-3 to Swiss team, EV Zug on the night but both teams will qualify to the next round. Zug, the current team of Linköping HC’s Garrett Roe, decided to leave it late with all three goals coming in the last 13 minutes of play, Lino Martschini getting one goal and one assist in the frantic final period.

In the other match, German club, Eisbären Berlin finally got it's first win in the competition in a 4-1 home victory over Neman Grodno. The Belarus team will be wanting revenge next week as well as looking to build momentum as their defend their national title.

Group C

Swedish giants, Skellefteå AIK recorded their fourth regulation win, with a 5-1 victory away from home against IFK Helsinki. Two assists by Joakim Lindström put him on nine points in third place in the competition on Total Points. Meanwhile his team are safely through to the next round.

In the other match Italian team HC Bolzano Foxes find themselves in danger of not qualifying despite a near perfect start to the campaign with wins against Swedish and Finnish oppositions. Polish champions GKS Tychy took their first points of the campaign winning at home 5-3 against the EBEL champions. The Italians must win their home game against the Poles next week or rely on Skellefteå repeating their victory to qualify.

Group B

Red Bull Munich secured top place in the group with a 3-2 victory at home over Malmö Redhawks. And despite their loss, the Swedish team will also go through to the knockout phase. That's because results in the other game, where Finnish TPS beat Youost Minsk at home, means that neither of these teams can qualify leaving them playing for pride when they meet next week in Belarus. Munich's Canadian forward Trevor Parkes, however, will probably be eager to add to his six goals which currently make him the top goal scorer in the competetion.