Red Bull Salzburg travelled to Switzerland for Game Day 4 of the Champions Hockey League to clash against unbeaten ZSC Lions Zurich. Both teams had a strong start to the season and were eager to continue their good form, setting the stage for an exciting battle.

Salzburg dominated the opening twenty minutes, taking control from the first puck drop. They struck early when Peter Hochkofler capitalised on a powerplay following a holding penalty, sending the puck into the Zurich net.

Just past the halfway point of the period at 11:13, Peter Schneider pounced on a rebound to double Salzburg’s lead. Not long after, Ryan Murphy fired a shot from the right face-off circle, which surprisingly found its way past the Zurich goalie – an effort that could have been saved. It was far from the debut Robin Zumbühl had hoped for in his CHL goaltending career, as he conceded three goals in the opening frame.

Despite Zurich’s improvement in the second period, Salzburg’s momentum continued. Lucas Thaler extended the lead to 4-0 after receiving a quick pass from Troy Bourke right off a face-off. Zurich finally found a breakthrough at 32:26 when Denis Malgin showed great patience, waiting for the Salzburg netminder to react before tucking the puck into the open net from a tight angle, reducing the deficit to 4-1.

The third and final period saw Zurich push hard to get back into the game, while Salzburg focused on protecting their lead. Santtu Kinnunen added another goal for Zurich, narrowing the gap to two. However, it wasn’t enough, as Salzburg held firm, securing a 4-2 victory and earning the full three points, handing Zurich their first loss of the season.