HC Davos secured a narrow 5-4 victory over HC Plzeň in the first leg of the Champions Hockey League eighth-finals on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, after squandering a comfortable three-goal advantage at home.
- Brendan Lemieux’s 31 penalty minutes highlight a discipline issue that contributed to Davos letting its lead slip against Plzen.
- Davos holds a fragile one-goal aggregate lead heading into the Czech Republic, making Plzeň an intriguing underdog bet to overturn the deficit on home ice.
The Swiss club appeared headed for an effortless win on home ice after building a 3-0 lead inside the opening 21 minutes, rts.ch reported. Adam Tambellini opened the scoring at the 8th minute, followed 41 seconds later by Frédéric Allard to double the advantage. Enzo Corvi extended the cushion further, scoring just 29 seconds into the second period.
But the momentum shifted dramatically as Davos unraveled through a cascade of disciplinary infractions. Brendan Lemieux accumulated 31 penalty minutes in a chaotic nine-minute span, which included a fighting major, according to rts.ch reporting. Because Champions Hockey League regulations enforce non-commressive penalties, the extended shorthanded sequences heavily drained the squad’s physical reserves.
Plzeň capitalized immediately on the mounting power-play opportunities to claw back into the contest before the second intermission. Emil Petman ignited the Czech comeback at the 27th minute before Carter Robertson narrowed the deficit further at the 39th mark, as detailed by rts.ch. Petman then struck again with a dramatic equalizer exactly one second before the second-period buzzer.
The visiting Czech side, which previously dominated the CHL league phase, continued to pressure the hosts deep into the final frame. Ken Jäger restored the lead for Davos at the 50th minute, only for Igor Merezhko to equalize once more for Plzeň at the 55th minute.
Filip Zadina ultimately rescued the hosts by netting the decisive goal at the 57th minute, as reported by rts.ch. The victory leaves Davos holding a slender aggregate advantage ahead of next Tuesday’s return fixture in the Czech Republic.
The win came at a steep physical cost for the Swiss side, however. Forward Rasmus Asplund exited the contest late in the match with a left-leg injury following the chaotic finish, leaving his availability for the upcoming decisive leg in question.
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