EHC Bienne came within sixteen seconds of stunning National League leaders ZSC Lions on Wednesday night, before falling 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout at the Tissot Arena after Jesper Frödén leveled the score late in regulation.
Bienne attacked the game with zero hesitation. Jeff Skinner injected instant pace into the lineup, manufacturing a clean breakaway just two minutes into the contest that nearly opened the scoring before Robin Zumbühl shut the door with his pads, according to Blick reporting.
The Seelandais pressure finally broke through at the 14-minute mark. Fabio Hofer capitalized cleanly on a rebound in front to give the hosts a deserved 1-0 advantage.
Zurich entered the fixture having dropped only a single game all season—a regulation loss to HC Davos on October 20. Yet Christian Dubé’s squad completely disrupted the visitors’ zone entries through a disciplined neutral-zone trap and Viktor Östlund’s steady work between the pipes.
Bienne doubled their cushion early in the second period. Jonah Neuenschwander finished off a crisp three-on-one counter-attack at the 28th minute to make it 2-0.
Zurich responded just before the second intermission. Malte Strömwall fought through a goalmouth scramble to beat Östlund with a sharp-angle wrister while Miro Zryd served a minor penalty.
Dominic Zwerger restored Bienne’s two-goal cushion just 40 seconds into the final frame, converting a feed from Lias Andersson. But the Lions clawed back again when Yannick Weber picked the top corner with a pinpoint wrist shot at the 49th minute.
| Team | Shots / Play | Key Scorers | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| EHC Bienne | Counter-attack efficiency | Hofer, Neuenschwander, Zwerger, Andersson | 3 Goals (OT/SO Loss) |
| ZSC Lions | Late-period pressure | Strömwall (2), Frödén, Andrighetto | 4 Goals (SO Win) |
With time winding down, Zurich pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker. The gamble paid off with a scramble in the slot that left Jesper Frödén an open lane to bundle the puck over the line with just sixteen ticks remaining on the clock.
RTS said that Bienne squandered a massive opportunity in overtime during a brief double-minor power-play advantage, failing to solve Zumbühl before the horn.
In the subsequent shootout, Sven Andrighetto and Frödén converted their attempts for Zurich. Lias Andersson provided Bienne’s lone successful conversion, sealing the extra point for the league leaders.
Disclaimer: The fantasy and market insights provided are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial or betting advice.
