Fribourg-Gottéron starts the playoff final against qualification winners Davos with an exclamation mark. It wins 3:2 away from home - also thanks to a controversial refereeing decision.
18.04.2026, 22:45
18.04.2026, 23:04
SDA
Davos had only lost three times at home in the entire season and never at all in the playoffs - until Saturday evening. Fribourg-Gottéron, who are aiming for their first championship title at the fifth attempt, put in a long and impressive performance in Graubünden.
In the end, however, they also needed a bit of luck. With 91 seconds remaining, the referees annulled Brendan Lemieux's supposed equalizer after a coaches' challenge and a lengthy video review. This decision could have gone either way.
Fribourg thanks to a strong middle third
Up until the 50th minute, Fribourg, who only averted an early elimination in the quarter-finals against Rapperswil-Jona in overtime of the seventh game, were heading for a certain victory. Then Yannick Frehner in overtime and Julian Parée reduced the deficit from 0:3 to 2:3 within twelve seconds, but they were unable to equalize in the final ten minutes.
The visitors made the decisive difference in the middle third. In the middle of Davos' best phase, top scorer Henrik Borgström struck the needle. The Czech duo of Matej Stransky and Filip Zadina had failed to beat the strong goalie Reto Berra (31 saves) in a promising position. On the counter-attack after the second top chance, Borgström pulled away irresistibly, shook off two opponents and scored from the face-off circle over Sandro Aeschlimann's stickhand to make it 2:0.
Once again in these playoffs, Fribourg then let a powerplay pass uneventfully with 40 seconds in double overtime. In the 36th minute, Samuel Walser even increased the lead to 3:0 again over the shoulder of Aeschlimann's stick hand after a fine pass from Julien Sprunger. Walser, who was part of HCD's last championship title in 2015, and Sprunger had already prepared Fribourg's opening goal in the 9th minute thanks to good forechecking behind the goal.
Final series with tinder
For the seventh time since the final was played in a best-of-seven format, the away team won the opening game. It has also gone on to become champions four times. Fribourg is still a long way from that, and HCD's comeback showed that they will not be easy to beat. However, the turnaround that they achieved in the quarter-final in the opening game against Zug (4:3) was just not possible.
In any case, there is already plenty of tinder in this final after the first game. Gottéron wants to confirm the break at home on Monday evening.
Davos - Fribourg-Gottéron 2:3 (0:1, 0:2, 2:0)
6547 spectators (sold out). SR Kaukokari (FIN)/Borga; Duc/Altmann. - Goals: 9. Dorthe (Walser, Sprunger) 0:1. 28. Borgström 0:2. 36. Walser (Sprunger, Jecker) 0:3. 50. (49:43) Frehner (Frick) 1:3. 50. (49:55) Parée (Knak) 2:3. - Penalties: 4 times 2 plus 5 (Zadina) minutes against Davos, 2 times 2 minutes against Fribourg.
Davos: Aeschlimann; Frick, Dahlbeck; Andersson, Jung; Gross, Barandun; Guebey; Aebli, Asplund, Zadina; Stransky, Ryfors;, Lemieux; Frehner, Waidacher, Kessler; Knak, Egli, Parrée.
Fribourg-Gottéron: Berra; Rathgeb, Kapla; Seiler, Streule; Jecker, Nemeth; Johnson; Bertschy, Borgström, Biasca; Marchon, Wallmark, Sörensen; Gerber, De la Rose, Reber; Sprunger, Walser, Dorthe; Nicolet.
Remarks: Davos without Corvi, Fora, Nussbaumer, Gredig (all injured), Claesson, Tambellini and Taponen (supernumerary). Fribourg without Glauser, Schmid (both injured), Ljunggren, Rau, Arola and Rattie (surplus). Post shot: 18. Waidacher. Timeouts: Fribourg (50.), Davos (60.). Davos without a goalkeeper from 57:40 to 57:56, from 58:09 to 58:29 and 58:55. 59th goal by Lemieux disallowed due to goalie interference.
