In Lugano, ceremonies are canceled, in Davos, two scoring Czechs play, and Langnau once again finishes with two wins. These are the facts of Saturday's National League round.
The premonition of the Lugano press office
Régis Fuchs is a club legend in Lugano. The now 54-year-old Jura native played eight seasons in southern Ticino and won three championship titles with the HCL (1999, 2003, 2006). It was a time when the Luganesi were "grande", as the tifosi would have it. And one that people in the Sottoceneri remember only too fondly. Actually, Fuchs should have been honored on Saturday in the run-up to the game against Fribourg-Gottéron for his merits and induction into the club's hall of fame. But those responsible in the press department probably sensed that the club's sporting slump as second-bottom team does not allow for exuberant celebrations at the moment. In any case, they announced in the morning that the performances of recent weeks did not "match the history of the club, the expectations and the passion of the fans". As a result, the Fuchs celebration was postponed indefinitely.
The majority of the 5045 spectators who did turn up in the arena actually lost their celebratory mood rather quickly. After a double strike within 30 seconds, the score was already 0:2 in the sixth minute. Before half-time, Christoph Bertschy, the fifth different scorer, increased the lead to 1:5 for Gottéron, who won for the second time in a row. Goals from Matthew Verboon and Luca Fazzini in the final period could not prevent Lugano's fourth defeat in a row. The Ticino side have only won three of their last 14 games. The pressure on coach Luca Gianinazzi is likely to increase.
Zadina's hat-trick
Filip Zadina has played 262 games in the NHL in six seasons for San Jose and the Detroit Red Wings. Since this season, the Czech has been with HC Davos, and the 25-year-old seems to feel right at home in the Landwasser Valley. Against EHC Biel on Saturday, he scored after just one and a half minutes. With another goal in each period, Zadina paved the way for the Grisons to a 3-1 victory and back to the top of the National League standings. With 15 goals this season, Zadina is the second-best scorer in the league behind teammate Matej Stransky (16).
Langnau's crux with the 3
For many people, the number 7 is the crux of the matter, but for the SCL Tigers it seems to be 3. The Emmental side, who had recently won against Lugano and Ambri-Piotta, once again failed to string together three wins against EHC Kloten for the first time this season. Although Julian Schmutz gave Thierry Paterlini's team hope of a point with a 2:2 in the final period, Niko Ojamäki gave Kloten their third win in the last five games with a 3:2 four minutes before the end.
Granlund completes the turnaround
Since Greg Ireland took over at Ajoie, the team from Jura have celebrated four wins and have at least come somewhat closer to the competition as the bottom of the table. Against Genève-Servette, there were long signs of a fifth win, with Ajoie leading 3:1 at the start of the third period and Kyen Sopa's goal. But thanks to a double strike within 13 seconds by Josh Jooris and Tim Berni, Geneva got back into the game and allowed Markus Granlund to turn things around with his fourth goal in overtime. It was Grenat's fourth win in a row.
Telegrams
Lugano - Fribourg-Gottéron 3:5 (1:3, 0:2, 2:0)
5045 spectators. - SR Stricker/Kaukokari (FIN), Urfer/Stalder. - Goals: 6th (5:26) Etter (Gerber) 0:1. 6th (5:56) Schmid (Bertschy, Vey) 0:2. 12th Verboon (Aleksi Peltonen, Cormier) 1:2. 19th Lilja (Vey, Wallmark/power play goal) 1:3. 26th De la Rose (Vey/power play goal) 1:4. 28. Bertschy (Streule, Schmid) 1:5. 47. Verboon (Arcobello) 2:5. 57. Fazzini (Schultz, Carr/powerplay goal) 3:5. - Penalties: 4 times 2 minutes against Lugano, 3 times 2 minutes against Fribourg-Gottéron. - PostFinance top scorers: Joly; Wallmark.
Lugano: Huska (21. Schlegel); Schultz, Jesper Peltonen; Aebischer, Dahlström; Hausheer, Alatalo; Meile; Joly, Thürkauf, Reichle; Fazzini, Arcobello, Carr; Zanetti, Marco Müller, Canonica; Aleksi Peltonen, Verboon, Cormier; Patry.
Fribourg-Gottéron: Berra; Diaz, Borgman; Gunderson, Jecker; Sutter, Streule; Seiler; Lilja, Wallmark, Nicolet; Sprunger, De la Rose, Marchon; Bertschy, Vey, Schmid; Dorthe, Walser, Gerber; Etter.
Remarks: Lugano without Guerra, Morini, Mirco Müller, van Pottelberghe (all injured), Sekac and Zohorna (both overtime), Fribourg-Gottéron without Dufner, Rathgeb and Sörensen (all injured). Lugano without a goalkeeper from 57:39 to 59:54.
Davos - Biel 3:1 (1:0, 1:0, 1:1)
5573 spectators. - SR Hürlimann/Ströbel, Gnemmi/Meusy. - Goals: 2. Zadina 1:0. 34. Zadina 2:0. 51. Zadina (Fora) 3:0. 59. Hofer (Kneubuehler) 3:1. - Penalties: 5 times 2 minutes against Davos, 3 times 2 minutes plus playing time (Rajala) against Biel. - PostFinance top scorers: Tambellini; Rajala.
Davos: Aeschlimann; Fora, Gross; Honka, Dahlbeck; Calle Andersson, Jung; Guebey, Barandun; Stransky, Corvi, Knak; Frehner, Nussbaumer, Tambellini; Kessler, Gredig, Zadina; Wieser, Ambühl, Parrée.
Biel: Janett; Grossmann, Stampfli; Yakovenko, Zryd; Christe, Blessing; Delémont; Neuenschwander, Heponiemi, Sallinen; Hofer, Müller, Rajala; Livio Christen, Luca Christen, Kneubuehler; Bachofner, Tanner, Schläpfer; Cattin.
Remarks: Davos without Egli (sick), Nordström and Ryfors (both injured), Biel without Lias Andersson, Brunner, Burren, Bärtschi, Cunti, Haas, Lööv (all injured) and Säteri (supernumerary foreigner). Biel without a goalkeeper from 58:52 to 58:57.
Kloten - SCL Tigers 3:2 (2:1, 0:0, 1:1)
5085 spectators. - SR Ruprecht/Dipietro, Gurtner/Humair. - Goals: 6. Malone (Saarijärvi, Saarela) 0:1. 8. Simic (Rafael Meier) 1:1. 16. Schäppi (Rafael Meier, Grégoire) 2:1. 54. Julian Schmutz (Saarela) 2:2. 56. Ojamäki (Aaltonen, Grégoire) 3:2. - Penalties: 3 times 2 minutes against Kloten, 4 times 2 minutes against SCL Tigers. - PostFinance top scorers: Aaltonen; Saarela.
Kloten: Zurkirchen; Niku, Profico; Grégoire, Wolf; Sidler, Steve Kellenberger; Sataric; Ojamäki, Aaltonen, Audette; Meyer, Morley, Ramel; Simic, Schäppi, Rafael Meier; Weibel, Diem, Smirnovs; Derungs.
SCL Tigers: Boltshauser; Zanetti, Riikola; Saarijärvi, Paschoud; Cadonau, Baltisberger; Noah Meier, Mathys; Julian Schmutz, Kristof, Saarela; Rohrbach, Berger, Pesonen; Fahrni, Malone, Allenspach; Petrini, Felcman, Jenni.
Remarks: Kloten without Steiner (injured), SCL Tigers without Erni, Guggenheim, Lapinskis, Mäenalanen, Salzgeber (all injured) and Flavio Schmutz (sick). SCL Tigers without goalkeeper from 58:28 to 58:30 and from 59:45.
Genève-Servette - Ajoie 4:3 (1:1, 0:1, 2:1, 1:0) n.V.
5998 spectators. - SR Hebeisen/Staudenmann, Steenstra (CAN)/Bichsel. - Goals: 6. Pouliot 1:0. 19. Turkulainen (Bellemare, Brennan) 1:1. 37. Nättinen (Brennan, Turkulainen/powerplay goal) 1:2. 42. Sopa (Veckaktins) 1:3. 51st (50:13) Berni (Manninen) 2:3. 51st (50:26) Jooris (Richard, Miranda) 3:3. 61st (60:18) Granlund (Richard) 4:3. - Penalties: 3 times 2 minutes each. - PostFinance top scorers: Manninen; Turkulainen.
Genève-Servette: Raanta; Vatanen, Le Coultre; Jacquemet, Karrer; Schneller, Berni; Vouardoux; Praplan, Manninen, Granlund; Miranda, Richard, Bertaggia; Völlmin, Jooris, Pouliot; Imesch, Cavalleri, Loosli; Guignard.
Ajoie: Conz; Nussbaumer, Maurer; Brennan, Fey; Minder; Thiry, Pilet; Hazen, Devos, Veckaktins; Turkulainen, Bellemare, Nättinen; Sopa, Romanenghi, Pedretti; Robin, Garessus, Schmutz; Pouilly.
Remarks: Genève-Servette without Chanton, Descloux, Hartikainen, Hischier, Lennström, Rod and Spacek (all injured), Ajoie without Bozon, Ciaccio, Fischer, Frossard, Honka, Patenaude, Rundqvist (all injured) and Scheidegger (sick).
SDA