After the defeat in the crucial game against Lausanne HC on Friday in the OYM hall, Zug’s gap to the play-off places has grown to twelve points. Although 21 points are theoretically still up for grabs in the remaining seven games, 6th place is receding ever further into the distance. The ZSC Lions, who were also recently involved in the playoff battle, now await on Saturday, but have managed to pull away to 80 points and 3rd place. They have won eight of their last ten games. Their lead over the EVZ is a whopping 16 points.

The previous games against the Lions always went into overtime, and the last one in mid-October at the Swiss Life Arena even had to be decided on penalties. Jesse Graham and Jan Daron scored the goals for a 1-0 and 2-0 lead – the first goals in the National League for both – but the EVZ then had to concede the equaliser. Only Mike Künzle finally scored in the penalty shoot-out. EVZ leads the direct comparison with a total of 5:4 points.

The power forward missed the game against Lausanne and is also doubtful for Saturday. Gregory Hofmann is also doubtful. This leaves the question of who can step into the breach offensively after only Nando Eggenberger scored on Friday. In the ZSC Lions’ 5:1 victory away in Biel, five different scorers got on the scoresheet: Justin Sigrist, Derek Grant, Dean Kukan, Nicolas Baechler and Chris Baltisberger.