Coincidentally with the calendar, Genève-Servette and Zurich, who will face each other in the semi-finals of the Champions Hockey League in January, were locked in battle on Friday at Les Vernets, three days after their qualification. This dress rehearsal favored the Zurich Lions (2-3), thus spoiling the evening of Chris Rivera, Christian Serena and Henrik Tömmernes, inducted into the GSHC Gold Badges.
In a game whose start was relatively closed, we had to wait for numerical superiority for the situation to break free. Mikko Lehtonen (13th, 0-1) took advantage of Antti Raanta being completely hidden to open the scoring with a shot from the blue line. Yannick Zehnder (20th, 0-2) doubled the lead just before the break.
Better after returning from the locker room, the Garnets created several chances to come back. They did it thanks to two successes in 26 seconds midway through the match. Alessio Bertaggia (31st, 1-2) and Oula Palve (31st, 2-2) exploited the errors and generosity of the Zurich rearguard. At that moment, the duel seemed to have turned in favor of Jan Cadieux's team.
This was without taking into account the match penalty conceded by Theodor Lennström for a cross-check given to Denis Malgin out of play. The referees' decision provoked the ire of the Vernets and the Swedish defender. Derek Grant (37th, 2-3) gave his team the advantage again in the power play that followed.
This double blow of fate proved to be the turning point of the meeting. Zurich maintained its meager advantage until the final siren to obtain a success, the third against the Eagles this season, which allows it to regain the head of the ranking.
The GSHC travels to the Vaudoise arena on Saturday for the Lake Geneva derby against Lausanne.
GE Servette – Zurich 2-3 (0-2 2-1 0-0)
Les Vernets, 7004 spectators.
Referees: MM. Kaukokari, Staudenmann, Duc, Gnemmi.
Buts: 13e Lehtonen (Frödén / 5c4) 0-1, 20e Zehnder (Lammikko, Lehtonen) 0-2, 31e Bertaggia (Richard, Bertaggia) 1-2, 31e Palve (Chanton) 2-2, 37e Grant (Balcers, Rohrer / 5c4 ) 2-3.
GE Servette: Raanta; Chanton, Bern; Vatanen, Le Coultre; Karrer, Lennström; Jacquemet; Praplan, Manninen, Granlund; Miranda, Richard, Bertaggia; Jooris, Palve, Pouliot; Völlmin, Cavalleri, Loosli; Imesh. Coach: Jan Cadieux.
Zurich: Zumbuhl; Kinnunen, Lehtonen; Kukan, Geering; Weber, Marti; Trutmann; Sigrist, Malgin, Balcers; Rohrer, Grant, Riedi; Frödén, Lammikko, Zehnder; Baltisberger, Baechler, Olsson. Trainer: Marc Crawford.
Penalties: 3 x 2' against GE Servette + 1 x 5' and match penalty (Lennström); 1 x 2' against Zurich.
Notes: GE Servette without Descloux, Hartikainen, Hischier, Rod (injured), Mayer (ill) and Schneller (absent). Zurich without Hollenstein (injured), Hrubec (extra), Andrighetto (ill), Schwendeler, Graf, Henry and Segafredo (absent). Time out GE Servette at 59'43. GE Servette without goalkeeper from 59'33 to 60'00.
