Crawford unleashes the Cubs

class=”sc-3778e872-0 cKDKQr”>

Six clubs have changed coaches this season. When it comes to the sausage in the semifinals of the playoffs starting Thursday, only one of the new brooms will sweep: ZSC coach Marc Crawford.

The Canadian has made some adjustments and, as explicitly requested by the players, handles criticism more clearly than his predecessor Rikard Grönborg. The defensive quality is nothing that would have brought the 62-year-old to Zurich. Goalkeeper Simon Hrubec and the best manned defense in the league already had top defense values ​​under his Swedish predecessor.

What has changed under Crawford is that the Lions are finally allowed to have their own talents on the ice again, after the club was never able to convey to Grönborg that the products of Europe’s largest junior division can also be seen on the ice. want ice cream in the National League. And not only if they have long since celebrated their 20th birthday.

Shortly after taking office at the end of the year, Crawford covered the games of the GCK Lions and the U20 juniors, who are now in the playoff final against Lugano. And he didn’t hesitate to send teenagers onto the ice. Also in the playoffs.

Crawford-ZSC student in the NHL

Daniil Ustinkov made the start. The defender made isolated appearances as a replacement for Phil Baltisberger. You will hear a lot more about the Moscow-born talent who came to Switzerland with his parents at the age of 5 in the years to come. The last 16-year-old allowed to play in the NL playoffs was current NHL star Yen Nikolaj Ehlers (Winnipeg) near Biel in 2013.

Crawford also relies on the youngsters in attack: feisty winger Nicolas Baechler (19) has fought for a regular place and scored for the first time in Wednesday’s groundbreaking victory at Davos (3:2 aet). Recently, his U20 national teammate Livio Truog (19) made his playoff debut – and even got to play in the power play.

The talents show that they are of value when they are trusted. And with their carelessness, they help the Lions to be more light-hearted during the high-pressure phase.

The residents of Zurich have had good experiences with homegrown players in the play-offs in the past. When he last won the title in 2018, Hans Kossmann counted on three carefree youngsters: Tim Berni (18), Marco Miranda (19) and Raphael Prassl (20). And at Crawford’s first stop in Zurich, four current NHL players, Jonas Siegenthaler (age 17), Denis Malgin (18), Auston Matthews (18) and Pius Suter (19), made their playoff debuts.

Source : Blick