The Czechs in the CHL: still battling

With three teams remaining, the Czech sides still competing in this year's Champions Hockey League seem to have still something to say before the end of the playoffs.

With six teams starting the tournament and only one (HC Pardubice) eliminated during the group phase, the Czechs went through a tough Round of 32, with Oceláři Třinec and Vítkovice Steel being knocked out by HV71 and last year's Liiga runners-up Tappara respectively. 

It went better for the other three teams: Sparta Prague defeated the Swiss team ZSC Lions 6-2, while Bílí Tygři Liberec obtained an impressive 10-4 against Linköpings HC. Litvínov, on its part, only won in overtime against the Vienna Capitals, granting itself the right to move on to the next phase.

The Round of 16 will be particularly interesting as well as difficult, with Sparta playing against current Finnish champions Oulun Kärpät, while Liberec will have to challenge the Swiss champions of HC Davos, and Litvínov visiting the strong Swedish side Frölunda Indians, which last year reached the CHL final ultimately losing to  Luleå  4-2.

Tweets by @eurohockey