HC Davos responed to a big loss to Djurgarden Stockholm last week by beating the same team 3-1. Read more in Gamecentre.
After being humiliated 6-0 on their visit to Stockholm last weekend, HC Davos were determined to come back with a much better effort on home ice and they did that.
“Last week was an absolute disaster!” Davos left winger Dick Axelsson said about the loss in his hometown. “To lose 6-0 was terrible, and we knew that we had to come out and address that tonight, and show the real HC Davos.”
In the first 40 minutes they played almost flawless hockey, taking only two minor penalties and allowed only 13 shots on goal, while on offence they fired 25 shots at Djurgarden goalie Mikael Tellqvist.
After several great early chances, the first goal came on the power play with Perttu Lindgren converting Marc Wieser's centring pass and firing it into the roof of the net at 10:16. Then in the second came another push from Davos. Tellqvist continued to make saves, and one puck ended up in the net, although directed in with a skate so it was no goal. Finally, in the last minute, a long-range wrister from Mauro Joerg found room over Tellqvist's glove and it was 2-0.
That breathing room was needed, as Djurgarden came with an expected offensive push in the third period. They outshot Davos 13-6 over the final 20 minutes and managed to draw a couple of penalties. It took only seven seconds for the club from the Swedish capital to strike on the first one, as Robin Press's shot was deflected out of mid-air by Calle Ridderwall and in with 12:35 to play. They got another power play soon after, and it began to feel like momentum was shifting, but Davos killed it masterfully, with Lindgren getting a shorthanded breakaway, only to be denied by Tellqvist.
Tellqvist did all he could throughout the game, but in the last two minutes, on a Davos 2-on-1, Wieser's pass attempt was deflected by Swedish defenceman Press and into the net to restore the two-goal lead. Overall, Tellqvist stopped 28 of 31 shots, while at the other end Gilles Sen was solid when needed, stopping 25 of 26.
Axelsson, Lindgren and Wieser all had three points in the game, as well as a few other scoring chances. On the trio's chemistry, Axelsson said, "We have more or less the same team as last year, so the lines are more or less set, and we know who plays well with who. I just really, really enjoy playing with my linemates Marc and Perttu. It’s so much fun to play with those great guys, and when you enjoy it, that certainly helps you to get results."
On the stark difference between the this game and the one last week in Stockholm, Djurgarden coach Robert Ohlsson said, "I think Davos were better today than they were up in Stockholm, and I think we were a little too slow today with the puck – too many turnovers. Today our passing game wasn't where we wanted it and Davos used that to their advantage, so we'll have to bounce back for the next game."
With that result, the two teams are even with six points each. If they finished tied, Djurgarden hold the tie-breaker on the basis of out-scoring Davos 7-3 over their two games. Neither team have quite secured a berth in the next round, but if either team earns a point in their last game in Rouen, both with qualify.