Two amazing series come to an end today

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The people of Zug know this difficult situation. In last year’s playoff final, trailing 3-0 in the series against the ZSC Lions, they had their backs against the wall and a vision of failure that made them a title story. Now it’s a 1:3 against Servette in the semifinals. But there is one striking difference: self-confidence. Last season the EVZ marched through qualifying with an ease and dominance that it didn’t even come close to this year.

Is the defending champion now paying the price for a messed up regular season? Far from any consistency, the people of Zug always had to work their way through. Only with an increase in the final phase with seven wins from the last nine games did the champions qualify directly for the quarter-finals. The focus had to be sharpened again and again, it was a mental exhaustion that had not happened in the two or three years before.

“Never underestimate the heart of a champion”

Reflexively they now insist that the master threatens to lie out in the semi-finals. It is easy to forget what has already been achieved. For example, the remarkable palmares of coach Dan Tangnes (44). When he was introduced as the new EVZ coach in 2018, no one knew the Norwegian. He had not won a single playoff series in his coaching career. That changed abruptly in Zug. Since taking office, Tangnes has consistently reached the playoff final (the 2020 playoffs were missed). His promise of the title in tears in 2019 after losing the final (1: 4) against SCB will not be forgotten. He cashed it in twice in 2021 and 2022.

When asked about the fact that he hasn’t yet lost a semi-final against the EVZ gang, Tangnes struggles with the answer: “I haven’t yet either. We’re in the middle of it.” He is confident that his team will turn the tide, although they have not yet found their flow. And he too is confronted with crises for the first time as a coach in Zug. “Never underestimate the heart of a champion. That’s the beauty of the playoffs.”

The mental is the most important force

Tangnes may be proud of his semi-final winning streak, but for the all-important game five against Geneva, he dismisses it as a numbers game that just hits a good headline. “I prefer to stay in the present. So much is happening here now », emphasizes the head coach, tapping his head. “The mental is now the most important force we need to master.”

He has to work on the perfect line-up himself. Tangnes knows: “We haven’t found our best game so far. Neither as a team nor as individual players. So why not on Saturday?” The existing frustration now needs to be properly channeled and converted into energy. Leaders need to lead the way, which has an effect across the board.

And behind it is someone who also impresses with a great series: Leonardo Genoni (35). The seven-time champion goalkeeper has not lost a playoff series since 2018. However, he duels with a goalkeeper whose success rate in the semifinals is better than his own: Robert Mayer (33) from Geneva shines with 94.7 percent, Genoni’s success rate is 93.9 percent. But what are the numbers in the play-offs anyway?

Source : Blick