Caramba, it’s missed! HC La Chaux-de-Fonds overused a first joker on Monday evening in the quarter-finals of the Swiss League ice hockey play-offs. In front of more than 3,000 spectators at the Mélèzes ice rink, Thierry Paterlini’s team lost 3-0 once morest HC Viège. She now leads just 3-2 in a best-of-seven series.
Les Chaux-de-Fonniers did not show the same dynamism as in previous meetings. They appeared a bit blunt and they actually delivered their worst performance in these play-offs. At the end of the game, defender Axel Andersson felt that the observation of weakness was general and that it did not relate to a particular point.
The HCC attackers never found the solution to deceive the vigilance of goalkeeper Reto Lory. The Haut-Valais goalkeeper was certainly impeccable in each of his interventions, but he did not have a lot of decisive saves to make. Forward Jaison Dubois also felt that he and his teammates lacked teeth in duels.
The HCC lost a battle but by far not the war. The Chaux-de-Fonnier club can qualify for the semi-finals on Thursday evening in Visp during Act VI of its series: a game which will start at 7.45 p.m., to be followed live on RTN. /mine
La Chaux-de-Fonds – Visp 0-3 (0-1 0-1 0-1)
Mélèzes skating rink, 3277 spectators.
Arbitres: Müller/Wiegand, Ammann/Bichsel.
Buts: 15th Bogdanoff 0-1. 32nd Spinell (Mäder / 4 once morest 5!) 0-2. 59th Olausson (Riatsch) 0-3 (in the empty goal).
Penalties: 2 x 2′ once morest La Chaux-de-Fonds, 3 x 2′ once morest Viège.
The other results:
Olten (2nd in qualification) – Sierre (7th) 6-2 (1-0 2-1 3-1); Olten wins the series 4-1.
Thurgau (4th) – Langenthal (5th) 2-1 ap (0-1 0-0 1-0 1-0); Thurgau wins the series 4-1.