The ZSC Lions remain unbeaten at home this season. In their 4:2 win against Biel, the Zurich team impressed with two powerplay goals. The decisive factor, however, was an own goal by the visitors.
The overtime game was the big problem for ZSC in the first few weeks of the new championship. Before the clash between the two teams with the strongest form in the league, the champions and leaders had the worst powerplay of all 14 clubs. But just like in Saturday's spectacular 5:4 win against Zug, the Zurich team (again in the absence of the injured Denis Malgin) scored twice against Biel when they were numerically superior. And again the scorers were Derek Grant (7th) and Sven Andrighetto.
After Andrighetto equalized shortly after half-time, the Zurich team went on a storming run until the second break, but were once again thwarted by the strong Harri Säteri in the visitors' goal. The eighth win in the eighth home game was ultimately made perfect by a Biel player. The Russian Alexander Jakowenko kicked the puck into his own goal with his skate in the 44th minute. The goal was credited to Yannick Zehnder. Nicolas Baechler scored the 4:2 into the empty net.
It was ZSC's eleventh win in its 13th match. Biel, meanwhile, failed to continue their upward trend after a slow start to the season and catch up with the leaders after winning four games in a row. The Seelanders were not deterred by the early deficit after six minutes. Just over three minutes after the 0:1, the visitors led 2:1 after a power-play goal by Lias Andersson and a save by Yanik Burren. After that, Biel had few but good chances to score a third goal. During Biel's final offensive, ZSC goalie Simon Hrubec proved to be his usual strong support.
ZSC Lions - Biel 4:2 (1:2, 1:0, 2:0)
10'227 spectators. - SR Lemelin (USA)/Öhlund (SWE), Fuchs/Huguet. - Goals: 7th (6:01) Grant (Frödén/power play goal) 1:0. 8th (7:46) Andersson (Hofer, Rajala/power play goal) 1:1. 10th Burren (Cunti) 1:2. 31st Andrighetto (Grant/power play goal) 2:2. 44th Zehnder 3:2. 58th Baechler (Geering) 4:2 (into the empty net). - Penalties: 5 times 2 minutes each. - PostFinance top scorers: Kukan; Rajala.
ZSC Lions: Hrubec; Kinnunen, Lehtonen; Weber, Geering; Kukan, Marti; Trutmann; Frödén, Lammikko, Zehnder; Andrighetto, Grant, Sigrist; Olsson, Rohrer, Segafredo; Graf, Baechler, Riedi.
Biel: Säteri; Jakowenko, Christe; Burren, Grossmann; Stampfli, Delémont; Blessing; Hofer, Andersson, Cunti; Kneubuehler, Sallinen, Sever; Bachofner, Heponiemi, Rajala; Cattin, Tanner, Schläpfer.
Remarks: ZSC Lions without Balcers, Hollenstein, Malgin (all injured), Baltisberger and Henry (both sick), Biel without Brunner, Bärtschi, Haas, Lööv, Müller, Zryd (all injured) and Christen (sick). Biel without a goalkeeper from 57:06 to 57:45 and from 58:05.
SDA
