2024-04-23 06:28:27
The LHC returns today to the public at the Vaudoise Aréna to play Act IV of the final against the ZSC Lions. The pre-match is brought to you by our main partner, Vaudoise insurance.
Return to the series
After the defeat in Act III, Geoff Ward’s men will have to return to victory to return to the level of the Zurich players in the series. If success is difficult to achieve on the road at the Swiss Life Arena, the Lions seem more comfortable in front of their audience.
Led in the series, our players have already experienced this situation during Act II. Diligent, they respected to the letter the plan prepared by the Lausanne staff to win 4-2. By developing a physical and precise game, the LHC raised doubts about these Zurich Lions who had still not experienced defeat since the start of these final phases.
keep score
Effective in front of the cage Simon Hrubec, the Lions have enjoyed good offensive success since the start of the series. Often ahead in the score, the Vaudois manage to convert their strong moments well and could even prove even more decisive by getting closer to the shooting efficiency of the ZSC Lions in the final (10% for the ZSC Lions against 8.33% for the LHC ).
With a very similar number of shots since the start of the series, the opposing players seem sharper against Connor Hughes with numerous very punitive actions such as the return to the score during Act III where the men of Marc Crawford took the lead by scoring two goals in the space of just three minutes.
Men to follow
After three acts already, the matches are very pleasant to follow with a good rhythm on the ice. Both teams play good hockey and the series remains generally decent as a whole. After 180 minutes played in this 2024 National League final, several players stand out by making a very good start to the series.
The former Lausanne resident Denis Malgin was a great architect of his team’s last victory. With three points scored in as many games (1 goal and 2 assists) number 62 of the ZSC Lions seems to still have something under his belt and surely represents one of the main threats for our Lions. PostFinance Top Scorer of his team, Sven Andrighetto went from serial passer at the start of the playoffs (10 assists in 8 matches) to scorer, notably with a double during Act II in Lausanne. The two attackers will be able to count on the support of the experienced Yannick Weber behind them. The Zurich defender impresses with his technical accuracy in his area, but also with his support towards the attack.
Faced with the talents of the ZSC Lions, the group led by Geoff Ward also seems to have some individualities that can stand out from the crowd. Michael Raffle et Damien Riat are among those who have shaken the Zurich nets twice since the start of the series and seem particularly in good shape before playing Act IV in Lausanne. Lion of the match during the last trip to the Swiss Life Arena, Lawrence Pilot achieves high-flying performances in the final. A true strong man in the LHC defense, our number 20 distinguished himself this Saturday with a magnificent goal with a precise shot under the opposing goalkeeper’s bar.
The pre-match statistics
Excellent since the start of the playoffs, the goalkeepers of both teams still have a decisive role since the start of the final despite slightly lower save rates. With a 94.06% save rate for Connor Hughes (301 stops) and 95.45% for Simon Hrubec (210 saves), the statistics were almost excellent for both goalkeepers during the first rounds.
These indicators are certainly down in the final (90.00% for the Lausanne goalkeeper and 91.67% for his Zurich counterpart), but the role of last rampart has still been assumed since the start of the final. Decisive on their line, the advantage is for the moment with the Czech goalkeeper before this act IV in Lausanne.
How to follow the meeting
As during the regular season, all playoff matches can be followed live on MySports channels. For this second home match, you will have the opportunity to follow the match from Cinétoile as well as on the following channels:
- MySports
- Lake Geneva Blue
- Teleticin
- TV24
In addition to these TV broadcasts, you can follow the match on the radio on Global Sport.
#prematch #match #final #Vaudoise #Aréna #Lausanne