Defeating two National League leaders in the space of 24 hours is not yet within HC Ajoie’s grasp. However, he was not far from it. After knocking the Swiss champion Zurich off its pedestal on Friday in Porrentruy (2-1), the Jura red lantern suffered the law of the new leader of the category on Saturday evening (4-3). In Davos, his project, that of achieving a sixth success in eight matches, quickly fell apart.
The fault of a missed start. It only took one period for Graubünden, currently in full swing, to take off. Trailing by three lengths at the first break, Ajoie first broke through against the opposing second line. Adam Tambellini, author of two successes and an assist, and Valentin Nussbaumer (two assists for the HCD Jura player) played a decisive role in the dynamism at the start of the match.
Sven Jung first concluded a triangulation orchestrated by Tambellini (6th). Then the Canadian striker was responsible for crucifying Damiano Ciaccio, alone in the slot (12th) then with a powerful wrist shot (19th). If the HCA received the first hot alert of the match from its top scorer Jerry Turkulainen after 100 seconds, the rest was more complicated.
Beaten three times out of the six Davosian sendings sent during the opening third, Ciaccio, author of a very solid performance the day before, gave way to Benjamin Conz upon returning from the locker room. Deal done? It was a bit quick to forget that the HCA relies on a particularly effective power play these days. He then used it to get back into the race with, each time, Turkulainen at the helm and Philip-Michael Devos at the conclusion.
Two penalties inflicted on the Graubünden allowed the Quebec center to score its 10th and 11th goals of the season. Author of his third double of the championship (14 points in 9 matches), Devos used the brilliant inspiration of Turkulainen to revive the Jura business.
Failing to be able to count on its Swiss legion, extremely discreet since the resumption, it is once again thanks to its foreign fraction that Ajoie has bounced back. HC Davos has Swiss staff who can get it out of trouble. His third trio, in this case, which marked the decisive 4-2 by Tino Kessler a quarter of an hour from time.
But the Porrentruy players came back, once again, through Jonathan Hazen in the 56th minute. However, not enough to bring back something from Graubünden.
The HCA will play its next duel on Wednesday in the capital against the Bernese Bears.
Davos – Ajoie 4-3 (3-0 0-2 1-1)
Ice Stadium. 4779 spectators. Arbitres: MM. Tscherrig, Staudenmann, Schlegel et Cattaneo.
Buts: 6e Jung (Valentin Nussbaumer, Tambellini) 1-0, 12e Tambellini (Valentin Nussbaumer, Jung) 2-0, 19e Tambellini (Andersson) 3-0, 32e Devos (Turkulainen, Bellemare/5 c 4) 3-1, 39e Devos (Turkulainen, Nättinen/5 c 4) 3-2, 45e Kessler (Egli, Zadina) 4-2, 56e Hazen (Nussbaumer, Devos) 4-3.
Davos: Hollenstein; Fora, Gross; Julius Honka, Dahlbeck; Andersson, Jung; Guebey, Barandun; Stransky, Corvi, Knak; Frehner, Valentin Nussbaumer, Tambellini; Kessler, Egli, Zadina; Ambühl, Gredig, Parrée. Coach: Holden.
Add: Ciaccio (21st Conz); Anthony Honka, Maurer; Arno Nussbaumer, Fey; Scheidegger, Fischer; Thiry, Pilet; Hazen, Devos, Turkulainen; Sopa, Bellemare, Nättinen; Pedretti, Garessus, Veckaktins; Robin, Goat, Pouilly. Coach: Ireland.
Penalties: 2 x 2′ against Davos, 0 x 2′ against Ajoie.
Notes: Davos without Nordström, Ryfors (injured) or Wieser (extra). Ajoie without Bozon, Frossard, Patenaude, Romanenghi, Rundqvist, Schmutz (injured), Brennan (supernumerary foreigner), Bernasconi, Minder (supernumerary) nor Palve (loaned to GE Servette). Shot on the posts of Nättinen (30th) and Hazen (49th). Time out requested by Ajoie (59th), who takes out his goalkeeper to take advantage of a sixth outfield player (58’38 to 60’00).
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