Fribourg start return game with 3-goal lead at home

In the first game, Vitkovice Ridera Ostrava outshot Fribourg-Gotteron on home ice, and had a great chance to grab the lead in this Quarter-Final. Instead, they find themselves trailing by three heading to Switzerland.

“There were three moments that decided the game,” Vitkovice coach Jakub Petr said about the game in Ostrava. “The first one was the beginning of the second period, when we had good chances and could take the lead but we missed them and lost the momentum. The second moment were the power plays in this game and the third one was Fribourg's play in the areas in front of the net. They simply outplayed us there. They gave us no rebounds while they scored three goals themselves from there.”

The big difference-makers for Fribourg were goaltender Benjamin Conz and the offensive pair of Roman Cervenka and Julien Sprunger, who had 4 goals and 3 assists, respectively. Cervenka is now the CHL's Cramo Top Scorer with 12 points.

Sprunger and Cervenka play very well together and tonight they were very good, both 5-on-5 and on the power play,” Fribourg coach Larry Huras said after the game. Looking ahead to the second game he said, “They say the three-goal lead is the worst lead in hockey. They're a proud team that's well-coached and they'll be ready for us next week, so we'd better be ready as well.”

Petr said: “A three-goal deficit is a lot, but it's the Quarter-Finals and anything can happen. I don't think we were worse while 5-on-5, especially in the second period, so there's still a chance.”