Another good performance, yet once again the hockey gods are not smiling on EVZ – once again Zug leaves the ice as losers and now trails 0-2 in the quarterfinal series.

On Sunday evening, EVZ could probably have played for hours and not a single Zug goal would have been scored. It’s possible that coach Benoît Groulx’s team would have gotten close, as the puck simply wouldn’t cross the line. Zug is the dominant team and should be leading after the first period. In the second period, the Zug team is neck and neck with the regular season champions, with Simon Knak scoring Davos’s opening goal shortly after the halfway mark. EVZ continues relentlessly, But the puck won’t cross the line.

Game 3 is already on Tuesday in Davos. 

Playoff Quarterfinal Overview

HCD (1.) – EVZ (8.) 2:0*

HCD – EVZ 4:3
EVZ – HCD 0:2
Game 3: Tuesday, 24 March 8 pm: HCD – EVZ
Game 4: Thursday, 26. March 8 pm: EVZ – HCD
possibly Game 5: Saturday, 28 March 8 pm: HCD – EVZ
possibly Game 6: Monday, 30 March 8 pm: EVZ – HCD
possibly Game 7: Wednesday, 1 April 8 pm: HCD – EVZ

EVZ almost shocked the dominant regular season champions. They came agonizingly close – but even in ice hockey, “what ifs” don’t exist.

So, it’s time to dust themselves off and move on. Fans saw a much-improved EVZ, especially in the second period. While Zug will have to swallow a bitter pill on Friday, they now know they can compete with this HCD. Or, as forward Mike Künzle put it to mysports immediately after the game: “We can get on the bus with our heads held high. That was one of our best performances this season, and I’m confident for the rest of the series.”

The action continues this Sunday. The first EVZ home game of this year’s playoffs kicks off at 8 p.m. A few tickets are still available. We’re looking forward to a fantastic atmosphere and aiming to even the series!

Playoff Quarterfinal Overview

HCD (1.) – EVZ (8.)

HCD – EVZ 4:3
Game 2: Sunday, 22 March 8 pm: EVZ – HCD
Game 3: Tuesday, 24 March 8 pm: HCD – EVZ
Game 4: Thursday, 26. March 8 pm: EVZ – HCD
possibly Game 5: Saturday, 28 March 8 pm: HCD – EVZ
possibly Game 6: Monday, 30 March 8 pm: EVZ – HCD
possibly Game 7: Wednesday, 1 April 8 pm: HCD – EVZ

The EVZ—eighth in the regular season—held their own against the conference champion for 60 minutes. In the 52nd minute, Fabrice Herzog put Zug ahead 3–1. Was that the deciding goal? No. As so often this season, the HCD fought back, turned the game around before overtime began, won 4-3, and took a 1-0 lead in the series. 

The series continues on Sunday, March 22, at 8 p.m. Game 2 at the OYM Hall

HCD versus EVZ is a series that has many stories to tell even before the first puck drop. The two teams already met in the quarter-finals last season. Back then as qualifying fourth vs. qualifying fifth. What was supposed to be a close series ended in a slap in the face for the Zug team: HCD won the series 4-0. So EVZ still has a score to settle.

However, the omens are somewhat different a year later. Davos finished the qualifiers in a commanding first place with 117 points and go into the quarter-final series as clear favourites. Zug, on the other hand, can look back on a difficult regular season in which they even had to take a diversion via the play-in series.

A look at the four head-to-head meetings so far this season: EVZ lost both of their away games in the Landwasser Valley by a clear margin (1:5 and 1:4). It was a different story in the home games. Both times, the EVZ-HCD affair in the OYM hall went to penalties. Once the Zug team prevailed, once the Davos team.

The best thing about the most beautiful season in ice hockey: in the playoffs, everything starts from scratch again. Curtain up for Game 1 in the zondacrypto-Arena in Davos. It starts at 8 pm. With our live ticker, you’ll be right up close from the first face-off.

GAME PLAN

Game 1: Friday, 20 March 8 pm: HCD – EVZ
Game 2: Sunday, 22 March 8 pm: EVZ – HCD
Game 3: Tuesday, 24 March 8 pm: HCD – EVZ
Game 4: Thursday, 26. March 8 pm: EVZ – HCD
possibly Game 5: Saturday, 28 March 8 pm: HCD – EVZ
possibly Game 6: Monday, 30 March 8 pm: EVZ – HCD
possibly Game 7: Wednesday, 1 April 8 pm: HCD – EVZ

Tickets for the two home games on Sunday, 22 March and Thursday, 26 March are on sale to the general public. Season tickets remain valid for the playoff quarter-finals.