HC Davos lost its first game at the 93rd Spengler Cup on Friday night, falling to Czech champion Ocelari Trinec 4-1. 58 minutes into the game the score was 1-1. The last two goals were empty netters. If Davos wants to finish atop their group, it will need to defeat Team Canada by a large margin on Saturday night.

With several injuries, rehabbing and ill players as well as roster players Felicien Du Bois, Benjamin Baumgartner, and Enzo Corvi being rested in consideration of the upcoming tournament and championship schedules, HC Davos’ starting lineup took on a unique shape. Coach Christian Wohlwend played only ten forwards against Trinec. On the fourth line, defensemen Lorenz Kienzle and Yannick Frehner played the wings. The centre role was taken on by a rotation of the first three attacking line centres.

Trinec had the better start to the game. However, HCD captain Andres Ambuhl had the best opportunity to put his team ahead when he failed to score in alone on Czech netminder Jakub Stepanek (11.). The fast-flowing, high-paced game with few stoppages was a crowd pleaser to the 6300 in attendance. There was a constant back and forth. A Trinec counter attack took advantage of a turnover by HCD defenseman Olso Rantaki for the go-ahead. Ondrej Kovarcik scored on the rebound after Rotislav Martynek’s first finish was stopped by Joren van Pottelberghe (15.).
Davos chased that deficit in vain throughout the second period. Tino Kessler while on the penalty kill (26.), Aaron Palushaj on the counter attack (29.), and Yannick Frehner (38.) all failed to capitalize on their game-tying scoring chances. The home team struggled to create scoring opportunities against an exceptionally well-organized Trinec defense. At times it also lacked the necessary accuracy. So, Stepanek turned away just 11 shots in the first 40 minutes. His counterpart, Joren van Pottelberghe, had significantly more work to do, being tested 19 times in the same timeframe.
In the third period it took only 25 seconds to beat Stepanek. Finnish world champion Harri Pesonen, on loan from the SCL Tigers for the Spengler Cup, poked the puck over the goal line on the powerplay. Already on the next Czech attack van Pottelberghe prevented another deficit for the home team with a marvelous save on Martin Adamsky. The HCD netminder became an increasing centre point as Trinec pushed hard for deciding goal. Yet van Pottelberghe had no chance of stopping Martynek’s one-timer 161 seconds before the end of regulation. HCD then attempted to tie things up by pulling their goaltender in favour of a sixth skater. But instead Jiri Polansky and Ondrej Kovercik scored for the Czechs on the empty HCD net.

Davos – Ocelari Trinec 1-4 (0-1, 0-0, 1-3)
Eisstadion Davos. – Attendance 6300 (sold out). – Referees Lemelin/Stricker (USA/SUI), Kovacs/Schischlo (SUI/RUS).

Scoring: 15. Ondrej Kovarcik (Martynek, Zahradnicek) 0-1. 41. (40:35) Pesonen (Kessler, Rantakari/penalty Stransky) 1-1. 58. Martynek (Doudera, Kovarcik) 1-2. 59. Polansky (Chmielewski, Douder) 1-3. 60. (59:59) Ondrej Kovarcik 1-4 (empty net).
Penalties: 3 minors on Davos, 4 minors on Trinec.

Davos: Van Pottelberghe; Nygren, Jung; Rantakari, Guerra; Stoop, Heinen; Barandun; Tedenby, Marc Aeschlimann, Pesonen; Wellman, Bader, Kristo; Kessler, Ambühl, Palushaj; Frehner, Kienzle.

Trinec: Stepanek; Gernat, Doudera; Musil, Galvins; Zahradnicek, Adamek; Hrachovsky; Dravecky Stransky, Marcinko; Michal Kovarcik, Martynek, Ondrej Kovarcik; Hrna, Szturc, Novotny; Adamsky, Polansky, Chmielewski; Kofron.

Notes: Davos without Paschoud, Lindgren, Dino and Marc Wieser, and Hischier (all injured), Herzog and Meyer (both ill), Du Bois, Baumgartner und Corvi (rested). – Post: 60. Stransky. – Davos empty-netted from 57:50 to 58:34 and from 58:51.

Text: Spengler Cup-Online  Foto: Keystone