In the National League ice hockey championship, leaders Fribourg-Gottéron (2:5 in Lugano) and pursuers EV Zug (0:4 at Servette Geneva) suffered clear defeats.

Geneva – train 4:0

After a series of 15 games with only two defeats, champions EV Zug had another bad day. In Geneva, Zug was overwhelmed, they lost 4-0 and missed the leap to the top of the table (because Freiburg lost in Lugano).

Since Christmas, Zug has only lost in Bern (1:4) and on Tuesday in Freiburg (2:6). EVZ won all other games – recently even regularly with seven (7:2 against Davos), eight (8:2 against Langnau and Ambri) or even eleven goals (11:0 against Ajoie). But Servette regularly represents a highly uncomfortable opponent for the EVZ. Geneva won three of the four parties against Central Switzerland; Servette already taught the champions a lesson in Zug (5-1 away win).

In any case, Servette reacted impressively to the major defeat on Friday in the Ajoie. Eliot Berthon, Tanner Richard and Josh Jooris made the decision in the second half with three goals from 1-0 to 4-0 in less than seven minutes.

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Genève-Servette – Zug 4:0 (1:0, 3:0, 0:0)
5201 spectators. – SR Lemelin/Borga, fox/wolf.
Crack: 18. Vatanen (Tömmernes, Winnik/at 5 against 3) 1:0. 23 Berthon (Le Coultre) 2-0. 29. (28:18) Richard 3-0. 30. (29:39) Jooris (Filppula) 4-0.
Punish: 4 times 2 minutes each.
PostFinance top scorer: tommernes Kovar.
Geneve Servette: Descloux; Karrer, Toemmeres; Vatanen, bricklayer; Jacquemet, LeCoultre; full min; Vermin, Filpula, Vinnik; Jooris, Richard, Rod; Moy, Pouliot, Smirnovs; Antonietti, Berthon, Vouillamoz; riat.
Train: Meyer; Cadonau, Djoos; Wuthrich, Gross; Hansson, Vogel; Suri, Kovar, Hofmann; Klingberg, Müller, Bachofner; Zehnder, Senteler, Herzog; Allenspach, Leuenberger, DeNisco.
Remarks: Genève-Servette without Charlin, Miranda, Patry and Tanner (all injured), Zug without Hollenstein, Martschini, Schlumpf (all injured), Kreis, Simion, Stadler (all sick) and Lander (surplus foreigner)

Ambri – Bern 3:2nP

The Gottardo Arena quickly sold out, Ambri-Piotta superior, but the home team failed to achieve the desired result. Ambri would have wanted to start catching up in the race for 10th place with a win in 60 minutes. Instead, Ambri is a few points behind the Bernese.

The people of Ticino have to blame themselves for not being able to achieve complete success. Despite 41 shots on goal, Ambri only scored two goals – by André Heim (1:0) and Daniele Grassi (2:1). A carelessness at the beginning of the final section (losing the puck by Fora on the offensive) enabled Bern outnumbered (!) by Philip Varone to equalize 2:2. After that, SCB was able to show goalie Philip Wüthrich (39th parade) that it didn’t have to go home empty-handed.

In the penalty shootout, Bern took the lead through Varone before Dario Bürgler, Inti Pestoni and Dominic Zwerger secured Ambri’s victory.

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Ambri-Piotta – Berne 3: 2 (0: 0, 2: 1, 0: 1, 0: 0) nP
6211 spectators. – SR Stricker/Dipietro, Obwegeser/Kehrli.
Crack: 25. Home (Bürgler, Kneubühler) 1:0. 36. (35:27) Jeffrey (Moser) 1-1. 37. (36:47) Grassi (Conacher, Fora/Powerplay goal) 2:1. 41. (41:00) Varone (Bader/undernumbered goal!) 2:2.
Penalties shoot: D’Agostini -, Varone 0-1; Bürgler 1:1, Andersson -; Conacher, Rüfenacht; Pestoni 2:1, Kast -; Dwarf 3:1.
Punish: 2 times 2 minutes against Ambri-Piotta, 5 times 2 minutes against Bern.
PostFinance top scorer: pestoni; Moser.
Ambri Piotta: juvones; Forums, Isacco Dotti; Burren, fisherman; Foehrler, Zaccheo Dotti; Pezullo; Bürgler, Heim, Kneubuehler; Pestoni, Grassi, Conacher; D’Agostini, McMillan, Dwarf; Trisconi, Kostner, Bianchi; Joel Neuenschwander.
Bern: Wuthrich; Goloubef, Henauer; Andersson, Beat Gerber; Thiry, Colin Gerber; pinana; Daugavins, Jeffrey, Moser; Fahrni, Varone, Bader; Jeremi Gerber, Kast, Rüfenacht; Sciaroni, Berger, Daehler; nep.
Remarks: Ambri-Piotta without Conz, Dufey, Hächler, Incir, Regin (all injured) and Hietanen (ill), Bern without Scherwey, Untersander (both injured), Kahun and Jan Neuenschwander (both ill).

Davos – Ajoie 3: 0

24 hours after the gripping victory over Servette, when Ajoie got in first in the finish and then still won 4:3 after extra time, the Jurassic team lacked the energy for another exploit. Davos played unspectacularly to a 3-0 home win. Sven Jung (11th), Enzo Corvi (32nd) and Mathias Bromé (44th) scored the goals for Davos.

Sandro Aeschlimann, the Davos goalie, made 21 saves for the sixth shutout this season. Aeschlimann leads this goalkeeper ranking ahead of Reto Berra and Joren van Pottelberghe (5 each).

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Davos 3-0 Ajoie (1-0, 1-0, 1-0)
4656 spectators. – SR Stolc/Hürlimann, Steenstra (CAN)/Gnemmi.
Crack: 11. Young (Ambühl, Nygren) 1-0. 32. Corvi (bromé/at 5v3) 2-0. 44. Brome 3-0.
Punish: 3 times 2 minutes against Davos, 5 times 2 minutes against Ajoie.
PostFinance top scorer: bromines; devos
Davos: Äschlimann; Nygren, Jung; Dominik Egli, Wellinger; Zgraggen, Barandun; Bend down, Heinen; Stransky, Rasmussen, Bromé; Ambühl, Corvi, Chris Egli; Frehner, Prassl, Julian Schmutz; Wieser, Canova, Knak.
Ajoie: Aeberhard; Gauthier-Leduc, Pouilly; Rouiller, Hauert; Birbaum, Eigenmann; Joggi, Bartholet; Huber, Devos, Reto Dirt; Asselin, Frossard, Wännstrom; Frei, Romanenghi, Schweri; Bogdanoff, Macquat, Schnegg.
Remarks: Davos without Nussbaumer, Simic (both injured) and Pospisil (excess foreigner), Ajoie without Hazen, Wolf (both injured) and Fortier (excess foreigner). Ajoie from 58:02 without a goalkeeper.

Lugano – Friborg 4:2

HC Fribourg-Gottéron lost 5-2 in Lugano. Two former Freiburgers put Lugano on the road to victory: Yannick Herren and Romain Loeffel scored from 0-0 to 2-0 for Lugano within 69 seconds in the first half. Spoon later also scored the 5:2.

In the 22nd minute, Daniel Carr made it 3-0 with his first of two goals. This goal documented Freiburg’s goalkeeper concerns on Saturday in Ticino. Because of Reto Berra’s suspension, Connor Hughes protected the leader’s case. Hughes didn’t look good on two of the first three goals conceded. This is how Loic Galley made his debut for Gottéron (24 saves/2 goals conceded). For the first time, however, Galley did not play in the National League: This season he has already played for Ajoie – and conceded 8 goals in 44 minutes for the Jurassians.

Friborg lost the fourth away game in a row (after Ambri, Langnau and Zug). Doesn’t look good for the qualifying win, although Freiburg are still at the top of the table. Gottéron has played three of their last four games on foreign ice.

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Lugano 5-2 Freiburg-Gottéron (2-0, 2-0, 1-2)
5068 spectators. – SR Piechaczek (GER)/Hungerbuehler, Progin/Duarte.
Crack: 14. (13:35) Men (Bödker, Arcobello) 1:0. 15. (14:44) Spoon (Carr) 2-0. 22. Carr (Abdelkader, Guerra) 3-0. 35. Carr (Thürkauf, Müller) 4:0. 43. Motet 4:1. 54. Rossi 4:2. 58. Spoon (Bödker) 5:2.
Punish: 3 times 2 minutes against Lugano, 4 times 2 minutes against Fribourg-Gottéron.
PostFinance top scorer: Arcobello; DiDomenico.
Lugano: Fatton; spoon, miller; Alatalo, Riva; Chiesa, Guerra; Wolf; Fazzini, Arcobello, Morini; Carr, Thürkauf, Abdelkader; Bödker, Herburger, Herren; Bertaggia, Walker, Stoffel; trotter.
Freiburg-Gottéron: Hughes (22nd galley); Gunderson, Jecker; Sutter, Chavaillaz; Diaz, Dufner; chamber; Sprunger, Desharnais, Marchon; DiDomenico, Schmid, Mottet; Brodin, Walser, Jörg; Rossi, Haussener, Bykow; Bougro.
Remarks: Lugano without Josephs, Schlegel, Vedova (all) injured and Irving (excess foreigner), Fribourg-Gottéron without Berra (suspended), Furrer, Jobin (both injured) and Rantakari (excess foreigner).

Rapperswil – Biel 3:1

The Lakers rose in this home game after a three-day hiatus. EHC Biel, on the other hand, has already played their fourth game since Tuesday (and the 5-2 win in Bern). The Biel team lost the last three games in Davos, against Lausanne and now in Rapperswil. The Biel players don’t like to carry tired legs over the ice anymore.

Jérémy Wick and Roman Cervenka gave the Lakers a 2-0 lead in the first ten minutes. Cervenka makes it 3-0 late; Michael Hügli scored the consolation goal for Biel just 17 seconds before the end.

Goalie Dimitri Schikin, who played in the KHL near Yekaterinburg this season, made his debut in Biel. Schikin impressed on his debut: he conceded only two goals (Cervenka scored 3-0 into an empty goal) and saved 26 shots.

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Rapperswil-Jona Lakers – Biel 3: 1 (2: 0, 0: 0, 1: 1)
4132 spectators. – SR Hebeisen/Fluri, Schlegel/Stalder.
Crack: 9. (8:52) Wick (Albrecht, Cervenka/Powerplaytor) 1:0. 10. (9:47) Cervenka (power play goal) 2:0. 59. (58:13) Cervenka (Kossila) 3:0 (into the empty goal). 60. (59:43) Hügli (Rajala/power play goal) 3:1.
Punish: 6 times 2 minutes against Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, 8 times 2 minutes against Biel.
PostFinance top scorer: Cerwenka; Bruner.
Rapperswil-Jona Lakers: nyffeler; Baragano, Djuse; Aebischer, Profico; Jelovac, satarian; Bircher; Lammer, Kossila, Cervenka; Lehmann, Albrecht, Eggenberger; Wick, Thinner, Forrer; Weather, Mitchell, Bruschweiler; cajka
Biel: shikin; Stampfli, Lööv; Yakovenko, Grossman; Schneeberger, Forester; Delémont; Hügli, Sallinen, Rajala; Brunner, Cunti, Künzle; Kessler, Schläpfer, Hofer; Karaffa, Froidevaux, Gerber; job in
Remarks: Rapperswil-Jona Lakers without Maier, Rowe, Vouardoux and Zangger (all injured), Biel without Fey, Kohler, Rathgeb (all injured), Haas, Hischier, Korpikoski (all sick) and Indrasis (surplus foreigner). Biel from 57:16 to 58:13 without a goalkeeper.

Langnau – Zurich 1:4

At least 4,785 spectators came to the penultimate home game of the SCL Tigers, who no longer have a chance of making the pre-playoffs. In view of these numbers, it rankles for the Emmentaler that they can no longer add two home games.

Four days after the inferior performance in Lausanne (2:8), the SCL Tigers showed themselves recovered and biting against the ZSC Lions. They shot at goal more often than Zurich (30:28), caught up a deficit despite the absence of top scorer Jesper Olofsson, held a 1-1 lead until the 49th minute, but lost 1:4 in the end.

Sven Andrighetto made the difference with a hat trick – he scored the first three ZSC goals. Andrighetto realized his second hat trick in the National League.

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SCL Tigers 1-4 ZSC Lions (0-1, 0-0, 1-3)
4785 spectators. – SR Urban/Tscherrig, Huguet/Burgy.
Crack: 13 Andrighetto (Azevedo, Trutmann) 0-1. 48. (47:38) Leeger (Berger, Nolan Diem) 1: 1. 49′ (48:33) Andrighetto (Marti, Azevedo) 1-2. 59. (58:22) Andrighetto (power play goal) 1: 3 (into the empty goal). 60. (59:13) Pedretti (Marti) 1: 4 (into the empty goal).
Punish: 6 times 2 minutes against SCL Tigers, 4 times 2 minutes against ZSC Lions.
PostFinance top scorer: Grenier; Azevedo.
SCL Tiger: Punnenovs; Elsener, Schilt; Blaser, Großniklaus; Zryd, Leeger; Aeschbach, Guggenheim; Saarela, dirt, people; Rohrbach, Grenier, Weibel; Berger, Nolan Diem, Loosli; Petrini, Salzgeber, Sturny.
ZSC Lions: Kovar; Noreau, Martin; Trutman, Geering; Weber, Kivisto; Azevedo, Rogen, Hollenstein; Pedretti, Sigrist, Andrighetto; Sopa, Dominik Diem, Bodenmann; Chris Baltisberger, Schäppi, Riedi; Äschlimann.
Remarks: SCL Tigers without Erni, Huguenin, Mayer, Stettler, Zaetta (all injured), Langenegger and Olofsson (both sick), ZSC Lions without Flüeler, Krüger, Malgin, Morant, Quenneville (all injured), Phil Baltisberger and Waeber (both sick) . SCL Tigers from 56:56 to 57:55, 58:07 to 58:22 and 58:41 to 59:13 without a goalkeeper. (abu/sda)

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