The Swiss back line struggles
Keystone
The Swiss national ice hockey team also loses its second game at its home tournament in Zurich as part of the Euro Hockey Tour. They suffered a 3:5 defeat against the Czech Republic.
Two days after the narrow opening defeat against Sweden (2:3 n.p.), the Swiss team showed great morale against the Czech Republic. The visitors led three times and Patrick Fischer’s team equalized three times, once in each period. Calvin Thürkauf scored twice each time on a pass from Damien Riat. The 2:2 through Dario Simion, who was set up by Sven Andrighetto with an exemplary through pass, was scored after a quick attack in the power play.
Filip Chlapik again
Nevertheless, it was not enough for the Swiss to secure their first victory in the World Championship arena next May in Zurich-Altstetten at the sixth attempt. Filip Chlapik decided the game in favor of the Czechs with his second goal of the evening just over four minutes before the end. The former Ambri forward, who had already scored twice in the 4-0 win against Switzerland in November, had opened the scoring in the 12th minute against the run of play. He caught Leonardo Genoni with an artful shot from an acute angle.
The other Czech goals were scored by former Ambri and Servette forward Michael Spazek (25th), Daniel Vozenilek (49th) from EV Zug and, shortly before the end, Ondrej Beranek into the empty Swiss goal to make the final score 3:5.
The Swiss national team’s last official international match before the Olympic Games in February is against Finland on Sunday afternoon (3.45 pm). A year ago in Freiburg, the Swiss celebrated their only victory to date against the Olympic champions at a home tournament on the Euro Hockey Tour. In contrast, they have now suffered ten defeats.
Andres Ambühl honored
Before the game, Andres Ambühl was honored for his services to Swiss ice hockey. To the sounds of Conquest of Paradise, a banner with a photo of the record-breaking Swiss national team player and his legendary number 10, which will no longer be used in the national team, was hoisted under the roof of the arena. The player from Graubünden, who retired in the spring and played a record 352 international games and 20 world championships for Switzerland, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) at the home World Championship in May.
Defenseman Christian Marti and forward Grégory Hofmann played their 100th international game on Saturday.
Telegram and standings:
Switzerland – Czech Republic 3:5 (1:1, 1:1, 1:3)
Zurich. – 6545 spectators. – Referees Kova/Wuorenheimo (FIN), Altmann/Urfer. – Goals: 12. Chlapik 0:1. 15. Thürkauf (Riat) 1:1. 25. Spacek (Gazda) 1:2. 35. Simion (Andrighetto/Exclusion Spacek) 2:2. 49. (48:05) Vozenilek 2:3. 50. (49:03) Thürkauf (Riat) 3:3. 56. Chlapik 3:4. 59. Beranek 3:5 (into the empty net). – Penalties: 2 times 2 minutes each.
Switzerland: Genoni; Glauser, Kukan; Loeffel, Marti; Egli, Berni; Aebischer, Le Coultre; Moy, Malgin, Andrighetto; Riat, Thürkauf, Hofmann; Simion, Haas, Rochette; Riedi, Canonica, Biasca.
Czech Republic: Pavlat; Gazda, Pyrochta; Scotka, Krejcik; Adamek, Kucerik; Zabransky, Kral; Kase, Sedlak, Cervenka; Chlapik, Spacek, Vozenilek; Kantner, Kodytek, Kousal; Flek, Cernoch, Beranek.
Remarks: Switzerland without Rohrbach (supernumerary), Taibel (injured) and Charlin (substitute goalie). – Shots: Switzerland 32 (9-8-15); Czech Republic 20 (6-7-7). – Powerplay: Switzerland 1/2, Czech Republic 0/2, Switzerland without goalkeeper from 58:16 to 58:50 and from 58:38 to 60:00.
Zurich. Euro Hockey Tour. Matchday 2: Finland – Sweden 2:4 (1:1, 0:1, 1:2). Switzerland – Czech Republic 3:5 (1:1, 1:1, 1:3).
Ranking (2 games each): 1st Czech Republic 6. 2nd Sweden 5. 3rd Switzerland 1. 4th Finland 0.
The rest of the program. Sunday: Czech Republic – Sweden (11.45 am). Switzerland – Finland (15.45).