HC Davos pulls the advantage back on its side in the playoff final against Fribourg-Gottéron. After losing at home in the opener, the record champions win 3:1 in Fribourg and equalize the series.
20.04.2026, 22:26
21.04.2026, 09:07
SDA
The euphoria lasted less than four minutes in the, as always, sold-out Fribourg Ice Temple after the somewhat surprising 3:2 victory in Davos on Saturday. The Grisons cooled the enthusiasm with the efficiency they had lacked at home.
Tino Kessler after a bad pass by Benoît Jecker in his own defensive third in the 3rd minute and Klas Dahlbeck in the 4th minute beat Gottéron goalie Reto Berra with the first two shots on goal, and the usually reliable keeper didn't look good on the second. Simon Seiler reduced the deficit with a fluttering shot (12th), but Lukas Frick increased the lead to 3:1 before the end of the first period in overtime. Fribourg defender Michael Kapla unfortunately deflected the shot into his own goal.
Too many small mistakes
Fribourg did not get into gear as desired this time and also made a few small mistakes and inadequacies, which Davos took advantage of. In the middle third, the record champions and qualification winners initially failed to score a fourth goal. Only then did the home team also have a few good opportunities.
Gottéron's 40-year-old captain Julien Sprunger was a tireless driving force in his last playoff series before retiring, but failed twice in promising positions, once against the strong Sandro Aeschlimann and once against the leg of an opposing defender. In between, Seiler hit the post with another long-range shot.
Advantages back with Davos
Overall, however, Freiburg did not manage enough offensively to put the stylish HCD to the sword for a second time. The final third also remained goalless. The powerplay in particular remains a nuisance, also because Marcus Sörensen has not yet reached operating temperature after his long injury break. They were allowed to try six more times, a shot to the far post from Henrik Borgström (42') was the best they managed. In over 100 minutes of overtime play in these playoffs, they have scored two goals of their own and three against. A miserable record.
HC Davos is not much better in this domain so far, but at least they managed to score one goal in each of the two finals. With their first win in Freiburg this season, the advantage now shifts back to the Grisons, who have home ice in the third game on Wednesday. They responded to the home defeat, the first setback in a so far almost perfect season, at the first opportunity.
Telegram:
Fribourg-Gottéron - Davos 1:3 (1:3, 0:0, 0:0)
9372 spectators (sold out). - SR Lemelin/Wiegand; Obwegeser/Schlegel.
Goals: 3. Kessler 0:1. 4. Dahlbeck (Zadina, Andersson) 0:2. 12. Seiler (Streule, Gerber) 1:2. 19. Frick (Asplund, Lemieux/powerplay goal) 1:3. - Penalties: 8 times 2 minutes against Fribourg, 7 times 2 minutes against Davos.
Fribourg-Gottéron: Berra; Rathgeb, Kapla; Seiler, Streule; Jecker, Arola; Johnson; Bertschy, Borgström, Biasca; Sörensen, Wallmark, Marchon; Gerber, De la Rose, Reber; Sprunger, Walser, Dorthe; Nicolet.
Davos: Aeschlimann; Frick, Dahlbeck; Andersson, Jung; Gross, Barandun; Guebey; Frehner, Waidacher, Kessler; Stransky, Ryfors, Lemieux; Aebli, Asplund, Zadina; Knak, Egli, Parrée.
Remarks: Davos without Corvi, Fora, Nussbaumer, Gredig, Hollenstein (all injured), Claesson, Tambellini and Taponen (extra foreigners). Fribourg without Glauser, Schmid (both injured), Ljunggren, Rau, Nemeth and Rattie (supernumerary foreigners). Post shots: 35. Seiler. 42nd Borgström. 60th Frick. - 57:00 timeout Fribourg thereafter until 59:07 and from 59:18 to 60:00 without goalkeeper.
