Line battle in the final phase: Will the problem children be the deciding factor?

Stephen RothDeputy Head of Ice Hockey

It has only been two years since the Chur resident did not participate in the World Cup during the last edition. His time will come, they thought. That has not been the case so far. First, the former U20 national team captain, who was prematurely compared to Niederreiter, dropped from the Lakers’ rankings and schedule. Then the switch to Ambri didn’t help him.

Lately he’s been sitting out too much or not getting much ice time. He has not scored in twenty games. He scored his four goals in an interim highlight in November. Perhaps now that Pestoni and Zwerger are out, there is a chance for the wing to shine.

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The Finn always guaranteed goals. He scored 21, 18, 21 and 20 goals for the Tigers. But this season, the captain’s production has stagnated. The Olympic champion and two-time world champion has 8 hits.

Meanwhile, Pesonen, who struggled with viral infections at the start of the season, went 24 games in a row without a goal. “The situation was extremely challenging, especially from a mental point of view,” he told the “Berner Zeitung”. “I get a lot of responsibility here, a lot of ice time, a lot of confidence. So I have to score and prepare goals. I put a lot of pressure on myself, maybe too much.”

Last season the Swede scored 24 goals with the H₂O-line played a major role in the Seeländer’s fairytale season. But he hasn’t been able to tour since. First, the failures of his standard partners Hofer and Haas hindered him, after which the new coach Matikainen banished him to the stands several times.

The goalgetter has 10 goals (in 36 matches) to his name so far. He failed to score in his last eight games, although H₂O-line was complete again. Olofsson’s contract expires at the end of the season. The migratory bird, which has not stayed anywhere for more than two seasons, will probably move on.

The 106-pound colossus won his first club title last spring and was largely responsible for this with 36 goals (8 in the play-offs). But since the departure of his friend and sympathetic line partner Linus Omark, the gate factory has had supply problems. He only scored seven times. The last goal dates from December 8.

If Servette wants to perform nationally again after the Champions League victory, Hartikainen’s goals would be helpful.

Hand on heart: didn’t the HCD expect more from the former Ambri captain? Both offensively (1 goal and 6 assists) and defensively (minus-10 record), the player from Ticino could not set the tone you would hope from a Nati defender.

To his credit, he was out for about a month after being hit in the face by a puck. And he never lacks willpower. Maybe sometimes he wants too much.

The fact that the SCB captain no longer scores goals also has to do with his new role. In the power game, he is only a spectator under the new coach Tapola and has to work more defensively. Still, he had to listen to some comments when he played without a goalscorer in the first twelve games at the start of the season. “There definitely needs to be more from me,” Moser said after his first points. “I have to make better decisions in attack and move a little better, then things will go well.”

In the meantime, things were actually going well. The Emmentaler scored 7 goals (14 last season). But his goal drought has now lasted 23 games.

Last season the striker had big moments with Kloten and alongside playmaker Aaltonen and scored 18 goals. This brought the Bianconeri onto the scene, who gave him a two-year contract. But in Ticino he is a disappointment.

The Finn has completely lost his ability to score goals. In 38 games he scored only five times, the last time in early December.

National League 23/24

Presented by

		team	SP	T.D	PT
	1	ZSC Lions	47	51	99
	2	HC Fribourg-Gotteron	47	47	94
	3	EV train	47	38	85
	4	Lausanne HC	47	27	82
	5	HC Lugano	47	17	74
	6	SC Bern	47	-5	74
	7	HC Davos	46	20	71
	8th	Geneva-Servette HC	46	-11	68
	9	EHC Biel	47	2	67
	10	SCL Tigers	48	-36	65
	11	HC Ambri-Piotta	46	-3	64
	12	SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers	47	-30	56
	13	EHC Kloten	47	-62	47
	14	HC Ajoie	45	-55	35