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Three of the three Swiss teams have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions Hockey League. While champion Servette had already secured a place in the top 16 in advance, Biel and Rapperswil-Jona followed suit on Tuesday.
Both teams showed remarkable performances. The Lakers got the point they needed from Swedish champions Växjö (2:3 nV), while Biel defeated defending champion Tappara Tampere 6:3 after trailing 2-0 at home in front of more than 5,000 fans. The Finnish champion with new coach Rikard Grönborg (ex ZSC) had to admit defeat last week against a rump Lakers team 2:4.
While Servette also benefited from being able to play against modest opponents (6:1 against Bolzano, 9:1 against Rouen, 3:2 against Kosice) and even embarrassed himself at the start in Innsbruck (2:3), Biel and her The Lakers are facing several top opponents.
The people of Geneva already know their opponent in the round of 16, the Lahti Pelicans (Fi). Rappi could see a reunion with Växjö, while Biel could face Lukko Rauma (Fi).
“It’s Only a Matter of Time”
Ever since the CHL was reintroduced in 2014, people have been waiting for a Swiss club to make a big splash. It did not work. “Not yet,” emphasizes SCB coach Jussi Tapola, who won the Champions League with Tappara Tampere last season. “We played against Zug in the semi-finals. We were better in the first leg and won. In Zug, the EVZ was the better team. We needed a great goalkeeper and a bit of luck.”
The Finn has great confidence in the Swiss teams. ‘I think it’s just a matter of time. In the next three years a team from the National League will win the Champions League.”
He also sees no significant flaw in the Swiss teams’ defensive play. “The game in our league is also developing in this area. The game is more physical. The best teams lead the way, the others follow. It keeps getting better. Especially with six foreigners.”
Sometimes you get the impression that the Champions League is not the highest priority for all players. “We need fans at the games. Some players underestimate it and might think: if the fans aren’t interested, why should we be?” says Tapola, for whom qualifying for the CHL is also one of the goals at SCB.
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 Vaxjo Lakers
|
6
|
16
|
16
|
|
|
2
|
 Adler Mannheim
|
5
|
9
|
13
|
|
|
3
|
 Lukko Rauma
|
6
|
7
|
15
|
|
|
4
|
 Ilves Tampere
|
5
|
9
|
12
|
|
|
5
|
 Farjestads BK
|
6
|
15
|
14
|
|
|
6
|
 HC Pardubice
|
5
|
7
|
10
|
|
|
6
|
 Skelleftea AIK
|
6
|
7
|
12
|
|
|
8th
|
 Geneva-Servette HC
|
6
|
11
|
11
|
|
|
9
|
 Pelicans Lahti
|
6
|
8th
|
11
|
|
|
10
|
 HC Vitkovice
|
6
|
5
|
11
|
|
|
11
|
 EHC Red Bull Munich
|
6
|
6
|
10
|
|
|
12
|
 EHC Biel
|
6
|
2
|
10
|
|
|
13
|
 SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers
|
6
|
-1
|
9
|
|
|
14
|
 HC TWK Innsbruck
|
6
|
-8th
|
9
|
|
|
15
|
 ERC Ingolstadt
|
6
|
-9
|
9
|
|
|
16
|
 HC Ocelari Trinec
|
5
|
0
|
7
|
|
|
17
|
 Tappara Tampere
|
6
|
1
|
7
|
|
|
18
|
 The giants of Belfast
|
5
|
-4
|
5
|
|
|
19
|
 Red Bull Salzburg
|
6
|
-8th
|
4
|
|
|
20
|
 Rouen dragons
|
5
|
-15
|
3
|
|
|
21
|
 Stavanger oil companies
|
5
|
-12
|
1
|
|
|
22
|
 Aalborg Pirates
|
5
|
-18
|
1
|
|
|
22
|
 HC Bolzano-Bozen Vossen
|
5
|
-18
|
1
|
|
|
24
|
 HC Kosice
|
5
|
-10
|
0
|
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
