The 1-2 loss in the opening game of the playoff series against HC Davos on Friday showed EVZ that they need to maintain the highest level of concentration from start to finish. The winning goal for Davos came after an individual error, less than a minute after the equalizer by Colin Lindemann. The 19-year-old, who spent most of the season playing for HC Thurgau in the Swiss League, was able to score in his first NL playoff match.
The EVZ will play the second match of the playoff quarterfinal series in Davos on Sunday, March 16.
On Sunday, the second game takes place, this time in the zondacrypto-Arena (Puck drop at 8:00 PM). The Zug team has fond memories of this place: in early February, they won their only penalty shootout of the season there, securing a 5-4 victory. Lino Martschini, Gregory Hofmann, and Sven Senteler scored in the shootout. Daniel Vozenilek scored the equalizer to make it 4-4 just before the end of regular time during a power play. In the first playoff game against Davos, the power play was non-existent: the Zug team wasted five opportunities. Head Coach Dan Tangnes and the staff will need to find solutions for the remaining games of the series.
On a positive note, the EVZ only took one penalty in Game 1. Discipline could prove to be a crucial factor in the series.
Confidence for the second game comes from the statistics corner. In the last three years, EVZ won the second game of the quarterfinal series. In the last playoff series against Davos, the Zug team won the second game—just like every other one. In spring 2022, the EVZ won the playoff semifinals 4-0. While that’s no longer possible this year, a win on Sunday could set the tone for a successful series.
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