Genève-Servette overturns a four-goal deficit in Monday's only National League game against Ambri to win 6-5. Michael Spacek scores 38 seconds before the end of overtime.
After a good 15 minutes, there was no sign of Servette scoring. Geneva, who had recently been beaten six times in a row at home, were trailing 0:4, goalie Robert Mayer had already made way for Antti Raanta and whistles could be heard from the stands. Servette were given new energy by the exclusion of Ambri's top scorer Jesse Virtanen, who pushed compatriot Sakari Manninen into the boards. Servette used the ensuing five-minute penalty to reduce the deficit to 2:4 before the first break.
Servette's second double strike followed after the fifth goal against. Within 68 seconds, Manninen reduced the deficit to 4:5 with a short-handed shot and Marc Pouliot with his first goal of the season. Manninen, who replaced Teemu Martikainen, who had to withdraw at short notice, equalized towards the end of the second period. The spectacular game was rounded off by former Ambri forward Spacek, who had not scored so far this season.
Ambri-Piotta must be annoyed. André Heim, Chris DiDomenico, Dario Bürgler and Manix Landry got the game off to a perfect start with their goals in the first 15:38 minutes. Even the power play, the weakest in the league up to that point, worked until Geneva's shorthander with goals in overtime by Landry and Tim Heed (5:2).
Telegram and standings:
Genève-Servette - Ambri-Piotta 6:5 (2:4, 3:1, 0:0, 1:0) n.V.
5239 spectators. - Referees Piechaczek (GER)/Stolc (SVK), Urfer/Gnemmi. - Goals: 5. Heim (Müller) 0:1. 8. DiDomenico (De Luca, Terraneo) 0:2. 10. Bürgler (Pezzullo) 0:3. 16. Landry (Bürgler, Heed/Powerplay goal) 0:4. 18. (17:19) Granlund (Pouliot, Manninen/power play goal) 1:4. 19. (18:41) Praplan (Richard, Palve/power play goal) 2:4. 23. Heed (Bürgler, Landry/power play goal) 2:5. 29th (28:37) Manninen (Spacek, Jacquemet/underpaid goal!) 3:5. 30th (29:45) Pouliot (Granlund) 4:5. 37th Manninen 5:5. 65th (64:22) Spacek (Palve) 6:5. - Penalties: 5 times 2 minutes against Genève-Servette, 1 time 2 plus 5 minutes (Virtanen) plus playing time (Virtanen) against Ambri-Piotta. - PostFinance top scorers: Manninen; Virtanen.
Genève-Servette: Mayer (10th Raanta); Vatanen, Chanton; Karrer, Berni; Jacquemet, Le Coultre; Schneller; Praplan, Richard, Bertaggia; Pouliot, Manninen, Granlund; Miranda, Spacek, Palve; Völlmin, Jooris, Cavalleri; Imesch.
Ambri-Piotta: Juvonen; Heed, Pezzullo; Virtanen, Zgraggen; Wüthrich, Isacco Dotti; Terraneo; Zwerger, Landry, Kubalik; DiDomenico, Maillet, De Luca; Bürgler, Kostner, Pestoni; Grassi, Heim, Müller; Douay.
Remarks: Genève-Servette without Descloux, Guignard, Hartikainen, Hischier, Lennström, Loosli, Maillard and Rod (all injured), Ambri-Piotta without Curran (supernumerary foreigner).
1. Davos 23/46 (76:51). 2. Lausanne 23/45 (75:63). 3. ZSC Lions 21/43 (67:45). 4. Bern 24/39 (78:65). 5. Kloten 23/38 (62:58). 6. Zug 23/38 (80:62). 7. Biel 23/34 (50:52). 8. Rapperswil-Jona Lakers 23/31 (60:68). 9. Lugano 21/28 (52:67). 10. Ambri-Piotta 22/28 (60:73). 11. Fribourg-Gottéron 23/28 (55:67). 12. Genève-Servette 20/26 (58:60). 13. SCL Tigers 21/26 (44:51). 14. Ajoie 22/18 (49:84).
SDA
