Skellefteå’s Comeback Hopes crushed by Bremerhaven
Skellefteå AIK faced the Penguins Bremerhaven in Sweden for the return game of the Champions Hockey League Round of 16. After a tough first game in which the Swedes went 5-0 down, Skellefteå’s hopes of advancing to the next round were hanging by a thread. This match was their final shot at redemption, but the deficit proved unbeatable. Bremerhaven, on the other hand, continued their dominant form and cruised into the quarterfinals with ease and confidence.
The first period followed a similar script to last week’s clash, as Bremerhaven stormed ahead with four goals. Phillip Bruggisser opened the scoring at 4:37, delivering a precise shot from between the face-off circles. The Germans further capitalized on their powerplay opportunities, with Christian Wejse and Max Görtz scoring back-to-back goals at 15:25 and 16:19, respectively.
jan Urbas finished off the period with a well-aimed shot from the blue line at 18:53. As the buzzer signaled the end of the opening twenty minutes, Bremerhaven held a strong 9-0 aggregate lead, leaving little doubt about the outcome of the two-game series.
Skellefteå were the more active team in the second period, applying strong pressure and creating numerous scoring chances. Despite their efforts, the puck just wouldn’t go in, and the home team still remained scoreless in the playoffs by the end of the period.
The third period saw two final goals to finish off the series. Urbas added another tally for Bremerhaven, while Oscar Lindberg finally got Skellefteå on the scoreboard with a powerplay goal. However, it was too little, too late, as the Swedes ended their journey with a crushing 10-1 aggregate defeat and bow out of the 2024/25 Champions Hockey League season in the very first playoff round—just one season on from a spectacular run all the way to the CHL Final.
With the culmination of the 2024/25 Champions Hockey League season now under 20 days away, it’s time to remind ourselves just how well our Finalists, ZSC Lions Zurich and Färjestad Karlstad, have played up to this point and compare their LGT Top Scorers and a few players that could make a big difference on the ice come the big game—scroll down to find out who we picked!
Starting with the LGT Top Scorers, we’ve got two players who have been lethal all season long and were both honored by being shortlisted for the prestigious 2024/25 LGT MVP Award some weeks ago (don’t forget, the winner will be announced at the CHL Final!).
31-year-old Swiss international Sven Andrighetto has been a menace on Europe’s biggest club ice hockey stage, racking up a whopping 20 points (8G, 12A) in 11 games played as it looks like he’s been laser-focused on productivity.
The former Montréal Canadien and Colorado Avalanche forward wasn’t as prolific in the regular season, but when the intensity really ramped up in the knockout rounds, he’s proved himself again and again.
A three-point night against the Straubing Tigers in the Round of 16 First Game was just the start, as Andrighetto scored four points in the Return Game, four more across the Quarter-Finals against a resilient Eisbären Berlin side and four in their Semi-Finals series against reigning CHL Champions Genève-Servette.
A healthy split of goals and assists has made the Zurich player a nuisance for both goalies and defensemen and helped the Swiss side sway games in their favor—watch out for him on the CHL Final ice!
