The ZSC Lions also remained untouched in the seventh playoff game this season. Another confident performance in the semi-final against Zug brought the Lions 3-0 in the series. Marc Crawford’s team is still one win away from being represented in the final again after a year of interruption.
In 2022 they also lost a 3-0 lead against Zug and had the title snatched away from them.
Hansson’s goal does not go unanswered
If you take Saturday’s game in the Swiss Life Arena as a benchmark, a similar feat from Central Switzerland is quite unlikely. Especially in the middle third, the home team flexed their muscles and made the decisive difference.
Towards the end of the third, Niklas Hansson managed to make it 1-2 for the guests out of nowhere. The Swede scored after the fallen Marc Michaelis had thrown keeper Simon Hrubec off balance. But Rudolfs Balcers restored the two-goal gap with his third playoff goal 28 seconds before the second siren.
Legend:
Shot the 3:1
Rudolf’s Balcers.
Keystone/Ennio Leanza
In the final third, the people of Zurich were a long way closer to making it 4-1 than the people of Zug were closer to catching up again. It wasn’t until the 59th minute that Fabrice Herzog brought hope back again: he scored with a backhand out of the crowd at 6 against 5. Vincenz Rohrer and Juho Lammikko with his second goal of the evening made it 4:2 and 5:2 with Empty-Netters and the four match pucks were perfect.
Lions on track early on
From Zug’s perspective, the disaster had started early: Brian O’Neill, back in action for the first time since the beginning of December after a four-month injury break, had to go to the penalty box after just 12 seconds after being stopped, which was promptly punished. Livio Stadler unfortunately deflected Lammikko’s pass into the middle into his own goal to make it 0-1 (2nd). Christian Marti increased the score to 2-0 in the 25th minute thanks to a pass from Simon Bodenmann.
This is how it continues
The Lions have their first opportunity to end the series on Monday in Zug.