- The playoff finalist Biel cannot find its way out of the crisis and also loses against Kloten.
- Leaders Freiburg extend their lead in the table thanks to a comfortable win at Ajoie.
- There are three points for SCB, Rapperswil-Jona and Lugano, Langnau secures the additional point against Zug.
Biel – Kloten 2:4
Kloten coach Gerry Fleming mixed up the squad for the game against Biel. There were only three foreigners on the ice at the start of the game, but Mika Henauer and David Reinbacher joined the Zurich team for the first time this season. The offensive music from Kloten’s perspective was provided by another player who hasn’t made it onto the match sheet often this season: Keanu Derungs. With a double strike (30th/33rd), the 21-year-old got the outsider on track. Despite a clear increase in chances, the vice-champions only scored in the 58th minute. Reinbacher and Derungs in the empty goal and Alexander Jakowenko on the Biel side made for some cosmetic results, but this didn’t change anything about EHC Kloten’s victory. It is the 5th defeat in a row for the Zealanders.
Ajoie – Freiburg 1:3
999 National League games under his belt and not a bit tired: Julien Sprunger proved his qualities the day before he was accepted into the 1000 club. The 37-year-old took advantage of a mistake by Ajoie’s Alain Birbaum in the 15th minute and put Fribourg-Gottéron on course with a 1-0 lead. In the middle third, Samuel Walser (23rd) and Marcus Sörensen (29th) increased the score for the favorites. Jonathan Hazen scored the consolation goal shortly before the end. This means that the Freiburg team extends their lead over the ZSC Lions without a game to 4 points.
SC Bern – Ambri-Piotta 2:1
With their 4th win in a row, SC Bern has consolidated its position in the top trio of the National League. Against Ambri, coach Jussi Tapola’s team started like fire engines and rewarded themselves with the opening goal in the 5th minute. Benjamin Baumgartner was successful with a rebound. The SCB reacted to the shorthander equalizer by Dario Bürgler (32nd) in the person of Marco Lehmann (36th).
Langnau – Zug 3:2 aet
Aleksi Saarela is and remains the life insurance of the SCL Tigers. The Finn, who works for Emmental, secured his team the extra point in a close game against Zug in extra time with his 9th goal of the season. Saarela was already worried about the 2-2 equalizer in the middle third. Previously, the guests from Zug had played the home team almost dizzy and turned the deficit to 0-1 with a double strike within 11 (!) seconds. In the final period the game was evenly balanced again, but the Tigers were a little more dangerous thanks to three outnumbered situations.
Lausanne – Rapperswil-Jona 1:3
After a goal on both sides – Nathan Vouardoux (14th) canceled out Jason Fuchs’ lead (11th) – scoring in the Lausanne Arena was over for the time being. A few minutes before the end of the game, the guests from Rapperswil were able to try to have the majority. After just 13 seconds, Tyler Moy scored the decisive 2-1 (58th). Jeremy Wick made everything clear with the Empty-Netter (60th).
Lugano – Geneva-Servette 7:4
Masters Geneva-Servette didn’t get up to speed in their 6th appearance on foreign ice this season and have to wait for their first victory. Mark Arcobello gave HC Lugano the lead with a shorthander (9th). From the middle third onwards, both offenses got hot. Thanks to two goals in the majority, Geneva were able to reduce the deficit to 0:2 and 1:3. In the last round, the Ticino team turned things up again and pulled away to 5-2 by the 48th minute. Daniel Carr made it 7:4 in the 60th minute. At Lugano, 7 different players hit the opposing net.