Following a surprising victory against Meister Seewen earlier in the week, the EHC Thun secured a 1:5 win against Winterthur.
The encounter at Winterthur began with the visiting side largely pinned in their own defensive zone. Early pressure from Winterthur’s Mauchle forced Thun goaltender Graf to scramble and freeze the puck just in time. Despite early opportunities for top scorer Gyger and young forward Häsler, Elik Radovanovic remained largely untested in the early minutes.
Winterthur capitalized on the league’s most effective power play roughly ten minutes into the contest. While Gianluca Ogi missed an open chance in the slot against Graf, teammate Silvan Furrer broke through at the 13-minute mark. Furrer danced past a defender and fired a precise shot past the Thun netminder to give the hosts a deserved 1:0 lead.
Tactical Adjustments and a Crucial Second-Period Momentum Shift
Thun found its footing after a series of mid-game adjustments. Yannick Gugelmann noted after the final buzzer that tactical tweaks allowed the team to better neutralize the opponent’s speed. Gugelmann himself played a direct role in the equalizer, sparking a quick transition alongside Hasler. Hasler accepted a precise feed in full stride and beat Radovanovic to level the score at 1:1 heading into the first intermission.
The game flipped entirely four minutes into the middle frame. Following a won faceoff by Gugelmann, defenseman Maurer unleashed a shot through traffic to notch his first goal for the EHC Thun, putting the visitors ahead 2:1. Moments later, a power-play opportunity allowed returning player Nicola Christen to slide a dangerous puck into the goalmouth, where it deflected off a Winterthur defender and into the net for a swift double strike.
Winterthur dominated the latter stages of the second period, pressing heavily through Rais, Azevedo, and Togni. However, Thun weathered the storm through disciplined defending and key stops from Graf. Häsler nearly extended the lead just before the second intermission horn.
Securing the Victory Through Late-Game Discipline
After a scoreless opening stretch to the third period, Thun sealed the outcome with eight minutes remaining. Michael Bärtschi chased down a loose puck and fed a backhand pass to the trailing Hasler.
Wir kamen nach zwei, drei taktischen Anpassungen besser rein. Dadurch konnten wir ihre schnellen Spieler besser abfangen.
Winterthur pulled their goaltender in a desperate final push with an empty net and six skaters. The desperate gamble backfired with just 14 seconds remaining on the clock. Gyger gathered the puck in his own zone and spun to loft a clearance directly into the empty cage, sealing the final 1:5 scoreline.
With six points from their opening four matches, EHC Thun prepares to build on its momentum as the schedule rolls forward.
