HC Davos and Fribourg-Gottéron Struggle in Spengler Cup Opening Games
The Spengler Cup 2024 kicked off with disappointing results for both HC Davos and Fribourg-Gottéron. The traditionally strong hosts, HC Davos, faced a crushing defeat against their perennial rivals, Team Canada, losing 2-6 in the opening game. The loss marked a stark contrast to their dominant performance in the previous year when they emerged undefeated as the champions. This year, however, the Canadians showed their strength early on, overwhelming the home team after a promising start for Davos.
The game began on a positive note for HC Davos, with Finnish forward Oula Palve opening the scoring in the 9th minute after a brilliant assist from Filip Zadina. However, the joy was short-lived as Canada responded swiftly, tying the game just two minutes later with a shorthanded goal from Jonathan Hazen. The Canadians didn’t let up, and after taking a 2-1 lead in the first period, they capitalized on every mistake by Davos in the second. Charles Hudon and Tanner Fritz extended the lead, with Hudon’s second goal in the final minutes of the second period effectively sealing the fate of the match.
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Davos showed moments of fight but lacked the sharpness needed to counter the physical and relentless Canadian pressure. The defeat puts HC Davos under pressure as they now face the Straubing Tigers from Germany on Friday, with their hopes of a direct spot in the semifinals now hanging by a thread.
Fribourg-Gottéron, too, had a tough start to their Spengler Cup journey, facing Czech team Dynamo Pardubice. After a long wait, the Swiss team found their rhythm and tied the game after a determined effort. Yannick Rathgeb opened the scoring in the second period, followed by another quick goal by Ryan Gunderson, bringing Fribourg to a 2-1 lead. However, a few defensive lapses allowed the Czechs to score two early goals in the first period, putting Fribourg on the back foot.
Despite more possession and opportunities, Fribourg struggled to break down the solid Czech defense. The game eventually went into penalty shots, where Lukas Radil of Dynamo Pardubice scored the only goal, handing Fribourg a heartbreaking loss. The team, under new coach Lars Leuenberger, will need to regroup quickly as they face Finnish side Kärpät Oulu on Friday. With a loss in their opening game, they are now in a must-win situation to keep hopes of a semifinal berth alive.
The opening day of the Spengler Cup proved that no team can be taken lightly, and both Davos and Fribourg-Gottéron have some serious work to do to get back on track in the tournament.
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