Kloten, Bern qualify for playoffs

3 points. It was all the Flyers needed. 3 points and the season would take a turn to the good and give the fans that had to endure a painful season some play off hockey. The host started strong, putting the pressure on early in the game. Robin Leone was the first to get a chance with a solo in the 3rd minute but Ivars Punenovs was prepared and blocked off the attempt. Just as Klotens second line was getting on the ice, James Sheppard received a pass out of his own zone and beat Punenovs in the close right corner. During the following minutes Kloten's forwards kept on attacking and kept the puck in the offensive zone, almost as if they were playing with a man advantage. Tigers defender Yves Müller had to take place in the cool box in the 13th minute for holding and for the Flyers there was no holding back in this powerplay, the puck was being passed back and forth, left and right but it took a shot from James Sheppard that deflected off a Langnau defender to give the home team a 2-0 lead in the 15th minute. Just a minute later Kloten's line change didn't work the way they had planned and suddenly had 6 players on the ice. But Langnau's powerplay never came to fruition. The attacks were stopped early in the neutral zone and if for once a puck found it's way into the attacking zone, the Flyers defense was ready to move the puck out of the zone quickly.

The second period had just started and the Flyers were in a boxplay as Leone had been benched for hooking when Denis Hollenstein was on a breakway and scored the 3rd goal shorthanded. For a moment the guests from the Emmental were given some space and at 26 minutes on the clock Lukas Haas put his team on the scoreboard a first time. We take a leap to the 35th minute where Kloten had become a little too confident and all of a sudden Kyle Wilson had the puck on his stick to score the second goal for Langnau assisted by Thomas Nüssli. This goal gave the guests their confidence back that they had somehow lost on the way from Langnau to Kloten. A first powerplay for Kloten had gone by without any chances worth mentioning and also on the following man-advantage the Flyers were unable to capitalise.

The home team somehow seemed to have specialized in quick goals after a break, this time Corsin Casutt deked Punenovs in the 42nd minute and scored his 9th goal of the season. Langnau had a powerplay shortly after but wasn't able to capitalize but in the 47th minute Chris DiDomenico somehow managed to jab the puck inbetween Boltshausers pads for the Tigers' 3rd goal of the evening. Both teams played on an even level now with chances on both sides but in the last four minutes it seemed that Langnau was able to create a little more pressure as Punenovs remained in his goal with a little less than 3 minutes left.

With a little over a minute the Tigers pulled their goalie and created two good chances but with an empty net the Flyers charged towards the empty goal where Denis Hollenstein scored his second goal of the evening.

Because SC Bern won against Lausanne HC, both teams, the Flyers and Bern have qualified for the play offs which start on Thursday, March 3rd. Lausanne, who for the most time of the regular season sat on a play off spot will play the playout series also starting next Thursday.

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