The first four semi-final games between the ZSC Lions and HC Davos ended with home wins. Now the Grisons also need aggressiveness paired with discipline in Zurich.
06.04.2025, 11:20
06.04.2025, 11:53
SDA
The first period draws to a close in Davos: Andres Ambühl dashes across the ice like a madman and checks two Zurich players - Yannick Blaser and Yannick Weber - hard but correctly into the boards. The HCD captain then rubs his shoulder with a grin - and a minute later his team makes it 2:0.
Change of scene in the final phase of the third period: ZSC star striker Sven Andrighetto is checked, falls over, complains to the referee and gets into an argument with the whistling fans. At this point, the Zurich team is only trailing 1:2 despite a weak performance and still has every chance. The reaction of their two leaders says a lot about the attitude of Davos and Zurich on Saturday evening in the fourth semi-final game.
ZSC unbeaten at home for two years
And above all, it is emblematic of the two teams' performances at home and away. The difference could not be greater. In the two games in Zurich-Altstetten, Davos were literally run over with 1:6 and 1:5. "Maybe they don't like the altitude up here," said Rico Gredig jokingly after the game. The 20-year-old from Chur had scored his first ever play-off goal with the 1:0. For him, it's clear what needs to happen to finally succeed in the "lowlands". "We have to stay out of the penalty box."
Indeed, in the first four games of the series, the team that conceded fewer penalties always won. Especially in the 1:5 on Thursday, Davos practically beat themselves with 40 penalty minutes - even without Brendan Lemieux's playing time, 20 minutes would have been far too many.
Not enough done
In Davos, too, the only Zurich goal was scored in the middle third by Andrighetto on the power play. After that, however, the Lions did far too little. Their captain Patrick Geering is not looking for excuses. "We didn't do enough in the third period," said the veteran. "If you don't do enough with five against five (players), then that's simply not enough."
At home, the Lions always show a completely different, more biting face. Their record is impressive: since a 4-0 defeat in the 2023 semi-final against Biel, when they lost the two home games 4-0 and 5-3, they are unbeaten in the new arena and have now won 13 games in a row. Conversely, they have lost six of their last seven games away from home, including three times in the playoff final against Lausanne. It's hard to shake the impression that they rely so much on their home strength that they fail to bring the necessary energy and unconditional commitment to the ice away from home - as exemplified by 41-year-old Andres Ambühl in perhaps the third-to-last game of his career. He ends his career at the end of this season.
Discipline is the key
However, like his teammates, he still wants to delay the end of his career. The Davos players believe that they can get the victory they need in Zurich. With the same sense of achievement as at home. "We have to be the more physical team," emphasizes Gredig. "Break down their game and keep the parade line with Andrighetto in check, then we'll be fine."
The difficulty is to keep the aggressiveness in the right measure. "We forgot discipline in Davos last Thursday," defenseman Michael Fora is aware. "Discipline is the key to winning in Zurich as well. Discipline with the penalties, discipline with the decisions with the glass." ZSC would do well to show its home face again.
