Red Bull Salzburg hosted the Lahti Pelicans in Austria for the Return Game of their Champions Hockey League Round of 16 clash. Salzburg entered the game with a narrow one-goal advantage, setting the stage for an intense encounter between two equally-matched teams.

The Finns came determined to overturn the deficit, but their hopes were ruined as Salzburg delivered a dominant performance, ending Lahti’s Playoff journey in the very first knockout round.

The first period began with a key moment at 3:37. Salzburg’s Troy Bourke capitalised on a shorthanded opportunity by poke-checking the puck off a Lahti defenceman and breaking away to score a shorthanded goal. This extended Salzburg’s aggregate lead to a nice 3-1 and boosted morale.

In the second period, Salzburg maintained control, adding to their tally with a goal from Lucas Thaler. Thaler collected a rebound and sent it past the disoriented Lahti goaltender, leaving the visitors struggling to respond.

Lahti’s best opportunity came in the 36th minute when they enjoyed nearly two minutes of 5-on-3 play following penalties for Salzburg at 35:22 and 35:38. However, even this advantage couldn’t yield a goal, and the Pelicans entered the third period with significant ground to make up and time going fast.

The final period sealed Lahti’s fate as Salzburg showcased their offensive firepower. Philipp Krening struck early at 41:45, followed by goals from Mario Huber at 48:57 and Peter Schneider at 56:24, the latter another shorthanded effort. Despite their growing deficit, the Pelicans played hard until the final buzzer, but the six-goal gap proved unbeatable.

With a strong victory, Salzburg advance to the Quarter-Finals for the first time since the 2018/19 CHL season, and continue their impressive Playoff campaign in the 2024/25 Champions Hockey League season.