Left behind the SM gold – that’s how it goes now

Skellefteå AIK faced the Pinguins 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 Quarter-Finals 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 capitalised 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 signalled 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 Playoffs round – just one season on from a spectacular run all the way to the CHL Final.