Club Friendly· Season 2026
EHC Kloten edged Augsburger Panther 5–4 in overtime thanks to Arttu Ruotsalainen's winner at 62:57 in a nine-goal pre-season thriller at the Curt-Frenzel-Stadion.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
Kloten struck first through Dario Meyer on the powerplay at 15:37, but Augsburg answered inside three minutes — Moritz Elias fired home from the wrist on their own man-advantage to make it 1–1 at 18:39, the score after one period.
Augsburg took control in the second. Philipp Krauß tucked in a cross-ice feed from Cameron Wright at 21:44 to make it 2–1, and Wright scored a dazzling individual effort at 28:15 for 3–1. But Kloten hit back before the period was out: Joel Henry drove a powerplay shot into the top corner at 29:42, and defenceman Max Lindroth jumped into the rush to equalise at 34:12. The teams went to the second intermission tied 3–3.
Lindroth struck again early in the third, this time shorthanded, pouncing on a defensive error at 41:46 to give Kloten a 4–3 lead. Augsburg pressed and finally broke through when Luke Toporowski finished a crisp three-pass move involving Kyle Wood and Alexander Blank at 57:30 — a cool one-on-one finish past Reto Berra to make it 4–4.
Kloten thought they had won it in regulation when a penalty was awarded with 3.7 seconds left, but Tobias Ancicka denied Pontus Aberg from the spot to force overtime.
The Turning Point
The game turned decisively at 62:57 when Ruotsalainen intercepted a loose puck in the neutral zone and raced in alone on Ancicka, sliding the puck home to hand Kloten the extra-period win. It capped a remarkable individual display: Ruotsalainen also scored in the second period and was involved in the build-up to Lindroth's shorthanded goal.
Key Performers
Cameron Wright (Augsburg) — A goal and two primary assists (Elias, Krauß). His solo effort for 3–1 was the standout individual moment of the night. His forechecking also created Krauß's go-ahead goal.
Arttu Ruotsalainen (Kloten) — Scored twice, including the overtime winner, and registered three shots on goal. His speed through the neutral zone caused Augsburg problems all evening.
Tobias Ancicka (Augsburg) — Made several outstanding saves during Kloten's dominant second-half stretch, including a penalty stop on Aberg with 3.7 seconds left in regulation. He could not be faulted on any of the five goals against.
Max Lindroth (Kloten) — Two goals from the blue line (one even-strength, one shorthanded), and a constant threat on the rush.
Player of the match: Arttu Ruotsalainen.
By the Numbers — Interpreted
The final scoreline (4–5 after OT) reflects a genuine back-and-forth: neither side led by more than two goals, and the game was tied four times. Augsburg owned the middle portion of the second period, outscoring Kloten 2–0 in a five-minute burst, but Kloten replied with two goals before the break and never trailed again after 34:12. The key statistical differential was special teams: Kloten scored once on the powerplay and once shorthanded, while Augsburg also netted once with the man advantage — a marginal edge that proved decisive.
What It Means
Augsburg fell to 0–3 in pre-season (having lost 3–2 to Kometa Brno and 7–0 to Eisbären Berlin earlier in the Dolomiten Cup). Next up for the Panthers is another road test: away to Eisbären Regensburg on 30 August (15:00 CEST), followed by a clash with SC Bern on 1 September.
Kloten completed a 2–0 pre-season weekend after beating the SCL Tigers 1–0 on the road — both wins by a single goal. Their next friendly is away to HC Ambrì-Piotta on 2 September, before the official kick-off against HC Lugano on 10 September.
Verdict
A pre-season thriller that rewarded the crowd at the Curt-Frenzel-Stadion with nine goals and a penalty save inside the final seconds of regulation. Kloten's resilience — equalising twice from two-goal deficits — and Ruotsalainen's extra-time quality were the difference. Augsburg will take heart from their offensive spark (nine goals in three friendlies) but their defending remains a work in progress with the DEL season approaching.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 30 Aug 2026