In their first meeting since Game 7 of last year’s playoff quarter-final series, the Bernese are likely to be out for revenge. The SCB were just two points behind the EVZ after qualifying in 2023/24 and so a duel at eye level was inevitable, even though Zug started the hottest phase of the season with a veritable losing streak at the end of the regular season. As a result, the quarter-final was only decided in the seventh game and the Mutzen are still waiting to win a play-off series after winning the last title in 2019.
A lot has changed at SCB since the team was eliminated again in the first round: since 1 May, the sports department has been led by “head sports director” Martin Plüss and “sub-sports director” Patrik Bärtschi, to quote a well-known chronicler. And the roster has also been “cleaned out” – a total of 12 (!) players have left the Capitals. Five new foreigners have joined the team: Anton Lindholm (Leksands IF, SHL), Kalle Kossila (Växjö Lakers, SHL), Waltteri Merelä (Tampa Bay Lightning, NHL), Victor Ejdsell (Färjestad BK, SHL) and Austin Czarnik (Detroit Red Wings, NHL). Remaining are forward and leading wolf Dominik Kahun, defenseman Patrick Nemeth and goalie Adam Reideborn. The American Czernik currently wears the Flames helmet with Bern.
On Saturday evening (October 5, 7:45 p.m.), the EVZ will host the Mutzen at the BOSSARD Arena.
WON 8 OF THE LAST 10 HOME GAMES
A look at the statistics from the last ten home games is a positive sign. The Zug team has won eight of them. However, the two defeats came last season. On February 23, the EVZ also lost 4-1 to the SCB in the midst of a negative streak, and also suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat in the first playoff game. But on Saturday evening everything starts from scratch again…