NLA: here comes the break

The November break has come: in the next two weeks, the twelve NLA teams will have the time to analyse their stranght and weaknesses as well as the ones showed by their opponents so far, with a particular focus on the Ticino clubs. 

After a strong 5-2 win against Fribourg last Friday, Ambrì-Piotta lost in the overtime the next game against Bienne, with a score caused by a temporary lack of attention of the team's Top Scorer, the Finn Mikko Mäenpää. A hard-fought victory against La Chaux-de-Fonds garanteed the Leventinesi the access to the next phase of the Swiss Ice Hockey Cup, where they will face the ZSC Lions. It is still a good start under the new coach Hans Kossmann, who in two games on the bench (as well as the cup one) earned a total of four points. They will meet Zug and Langnau after the break.

Lugano had more difficult times, having been knocked out of the Cup while still being under a temporary coach (Christian Wohlwend), and losing 4-2 against Servette last night. Still, they managed an important win against Langnau (also 4-2) on home ice, so that the new era Doug Shedden as trainer has begun with a not so displeasing 1-1 record. Their next opponents will be Lausanne and Kloten.

Fribourg, which lost yesterday night as well, has now lost the top place on the table, a privilege transferred to the ZSC Lions (37 and 39 points each). At the third place we find Zug and Davos with 34 points each, while SC Bern has 28 points. Servette and Kloten have 26 points each, Lausanne 25 and Biel 24. Langnau falls again at the last spot of the placement table with 17 points, while Lugano and Ambrì have 22 and 21 points respectively.

The general classification is thus very short, with many clubs paired or separated by very few points. Anything could still happen, and any change (better or worse it may be) will be surely helped by the upcoming pause.

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