Leaders ZSC Lions celebrate their eighth win in the ninth game of the season. The defending champions prevailed 3-2 in Davos.
With 4.4 seconds left in the second period, the time had come. Defenseman Mikko Lehtonen scored Zurich's first power-play goal of the season to make it 2-1. Prior to that, ZSC had missed 22 overtime opportunities. Rudolf Balcers played a big part in the goal, perfectly denying Davos goalie Sandro Aeschlimann. It was also Balcers who gave the visitors the lead in the 4th minute.
In the 47th minute, Santtu Kinnunen, the Lions' second Finnish defenseman, was responsible for the 3:1. The goal was preceded by good forechecking by Nicolas Baechler, who forced Davos to lose possession in their own zone.
The Grisons then only managed to score the tying goal through Julius Honka (57'), which is why they lost at home after 60 minutes for the first time in the current championship. Adam Tambellini, who scored for the sixth time this season, made it 1:1 for the hosts. HCD's foreigners have now scored 21 of the record champions' 24 goals. Davos' Andres Ambühl played his 1269th game in Switzerland's top league and caught up with record-holder Beat Gerber.
Last season, the Lions lost all four duels against Davos.
Telegram/Rankings
Davos - ZSC Lions 2:3 (0:1, 1:1, 1:1)
5662 spectators. - SR Lemelin (USA)/Hungerbühler, Gurtner/Meusy. - Goals: 4. Balcers (Grant) 0:1. 25. Tambellini (Frehner, Honka) 1:1. 40. (39:56) Lehtonen (power play goal) 1:2. 47. Kinnunen (Frödén) 1:3. 57. Ryfors (Ambühl) 2:3. - Penalties: 4 times 2 minutes against Davos, 5 times 2 minutes against ZSC Lions. - PostFinance top scorers: Tambellini; Kukan.
Davos: Aeschlimann; Honka, Dahlbeck; Fora, Gross; Andersson, Barandun; Guebey; Stransky, Corvi, Ambühl; Frehner, Ryfors, Tambellini; Knak, Nussbaumer, Zadina; Wieser, Gredig, Parrée.
ZSC Lions: Zumbühl; Weber, Kukan; Kinnunen, Marti; Trutmann, Lehtonen; Bünzli; Frödén, Lammikko, Baechler; Malgin, Grant, Balcers; Baltisberger, Sigrist, Riedi; Rohrer, Henry, Zehnder; Graf.
Remarks: Davos without Egli, Jung, Kessler and Nordström (all injured), ZSC Lions without Andrighetto, Geering, Denis Hollenstein (all injured) and Hrubec (extra foreigner). Davos without goalkeeper from 58:47.
Ranking: 1. ZSC Lions 9/20 (27:18). 2. Lugano 8/16 (27:21). 3. Rapperswil-Jona Lakers 9/16 (28:23). 4. Lausanne 9/15 (28:25). 5. Bern 9/15 (29:22). 6. SCL Tigers 9/14 (25:19). 7. Kloten 9/14 (25:26). 8. Ambri-Piotta 8/13 (22:23). 9. Genève-Servette 7/12 (20:16). 10. Zug 8/12 (26:26). 11. Davos 9/12 (24:27). 12. Biel 9/10 (18:24). 13. Fribourg-Gottéron 9/8 (19:28). 14. Ajoie 8/3 (14:34).
