Adler Mannheim vs Davos

Mannheim struck first through defenceman Tobias Fohrler at 07:43, but Brendan Lemieux answered for Davos just one minute later at 08:43. The first period then turned into the Justin Schütz show: the Mannheim forward scored twice in 22 seconds — at 14:34 and 14:56 — to put the DEL club up 3-1. Davos defenceman Frédéric Allard pulled one back on the powerplay at 16:28, making it 3-2 after 20 minutes.

Schütz completed his hat-trick early in the second period, scoring on the powerplay at 25:31 to restore Mannheim's two-goal cushion at 4-2. But Davos began its fightback: Tino Kessler scored at 28:22, and Filip Zadina levelled the game at 4-4 with a timely equaliser at 37:58, sending the teams into the second intermission deadlocked.

The decisive moment came early in the third period. At 42:48, Harrison Schreiber — a summer arrival from the ZSC Lions — fired home an even-strength goal assisted by Allard and Beni Waidacher to give Davos its first lead of the night. Mannheim pushed for an equaliser but could not solve the Davos defence, which killed off two third-period penalties including a Nico Gross holding infraction at 45:01.

Davos' response after falling behind 4-2 defined the match. Josh Holden's side scored twice in the final 12 minutes of the second period through Kessler and Zadina, erasing Mannheim's lead before Schreiber struck early in the third. The Swiss side's ability to generate offence in waves — five different goal-scorers on the scoresheet — suggests encouraging early chemistry despite a relatively settled roster that returned most of last season's key contributors.

Justin Schütz (Adler Mannheim) — Scored three goals (14:34, 14:56, 25:31), including one on the powerplay. The German forward was the clear offensive standout for Mannheim and demonstrated the finishing ability that made him a key target for the Adler this pre-season. Player of the Match.

Frédéric Allard (HC Davos) — The Canadian defenceman signed from the AHL contributed a powerplay goal at 16:28 and the primary assist on Schreiber's game-winner. A strong pre-season debut for the new import.

Harrison Schreiber (HC Davos) — Scored the game-winning goal at 42:48 in his first appearance for the club since returning to Swiss hockey from the ZSC Lions. A composed finish in a high-tempo pre-season game.

Tobias Fohrler (Adler Mannheim) — Opened the scoring at 07:43 with a well-timed rush from the blue line and was steady in his own zone despite the result.

Both teams spent similar time on the powerplay (Davos 4:06, Mannheim 3:36) and each scored once with the man advantage, finishing with identical 66.67% penalty-kill efficiency. The combined 10 penalty minutes per side reflected a competitive but not overly physical pre-season contest. Mannheim scored twice in 22 seconds at one stage — a sequence that underscored the explosive quality Dallas Eakins' side can produce — but Davos' depth scoring (five different scorers) proved the decisive factor. The hosts scored three unanswered goals after falling 4-2 behind, a run that began with 14:29 left in the second period and ended at 42:48 of the third.

For HC Davos, this is a second pre-season win after a 6-2 victory over EHC Arosa on 15 August. Holden's side opens its National League campaign in September and also faces Champions Hockey League group-stage duty starting 4 September against Storhamar. Mannheim, under Dallas Eakins, split two pre-season games against Graz99ers in Kitzbühel last week (5-1 win, 3-4 loss) and face Rytíři Kladno on Friday 21 August at the Herisau tournament. The Adler begin their DEL season later in September.

An entertaining pre-season slugfest that showcased exactly what these fixtures are meant for — Mannheim's Schütz looks in mid-season form already, while Davos demonstrated the resilience of a side that reached the Swiss final last spring. The Swiss champions-elect will take more from the comeback than Mannheim will worry about the loss.

Venue: Sportzentrum Herisau, Herisau. Attendance: 1,269. Referees: Kaukokari Mikko, MacFarlane Sean. Linesmen: Obwegeser David, Cattaneo Eric.

Scoring summary: P1: 0-1 Fohrler (Shaw) 07:43; 1-1 Lemieux (Ryfors, Waidacher) 08:43; 1-2 Schütz (Bennett) 14:34; 1-3 Schütz (Reichel) 14:56; 2-3 Allard (Corvi) 16:28 PP P2: 2-4 Schütz (Macek, Mattinen) 25:31 PP; 3-4 Kessler (Frick) 28:22; 4-4 Zadina (Steiner) 37:58 P3: 5-4 Schreiber (Allard, Waidacher) 42:48 GWG