Rapperswil-Jona vs Nurnberg Ice Tigers

The Lakers struck first on the power play at 09:54 of the opening period when Gian-Marco Wetter redirected Nicklas Jensen's feed past Nürnberg's netminder. Marcus Weber sat in the box for hooking and Rapperswil-Jona made him pay — a theme that repeated throughout the afternoon.

Nürnberg equalised early in the second period. Sandro Zangger's high-sticking penalty gave the Ice Tigers a two-man advantage, and Austin Magera converted at 20:57 with Tyler Spezia and Owen Headrick providing the assists. The parity lasted less than eight minutes.

Rapperswil regained the lead at 28:34 through Nico Dünner on another power play (Fabrice Herzog, Lawrence Pilut), then Victor Rask made it 3-1 at 30:02 with a neat even-strength finish from Jacob Larsson's pass. Evan Barratt pulled one back for the DEL side at 31:37, sending the teams to the second intermission at 3-2.

The third period was a blizzard of goals — seven in total. Kevin Labanc stretched the lead to 4-2 at 47:17, only for Nikolaus Heigl to reply for Nürnberg 97 seconds later (48:54). Tanner Fritz scored the game-winner at 52:06, redirecting Rask's feed past the Nürnberg goalie, but Barratt's second of the game — on a two-man advantage at 55:08 — made it 5-4 and kept the door ajar.

Labanc slammed it shut. The former San Jose Sharks winger scored his second of the night on the power play at 57:57, and Rask added an empty-net dagger at 58:20 after Nürnberg pulled their goalie.

Labanc's fourth goal at 57:57 was the killer. Nürnberg had just pulled within one and carried momentum from Barratt's second strike, but Austin Magera's hooking penalty at 56:17 handed Rapperswil-Jona a power play they could not afford to squander. Labanc made them pay from the slot, restoring a two-goal cushion with 2:03 left. Rask's empty-netter 23 seconds later finished the job.

Kevin Labanc — Two goals (47:17, 57:57), both at high-leverage moments. The power-play finishing of a player with 257 NHL games. Player of the match.

Victor Rask — Two goals (30:02, 58:20) plus the primary assist on Fritz's game-winner. The former Minnesota Wild centre was involved in three of Rapperswil's seven goals.

Tanner Fritz — Scored the decisive 5-3 goal at 52:06 and drew the penalty that led to Labanc's killer fourth. A quietly excellent game from the Canadian forward.

Evan Barratt — A consolation brace (31:37, 55:08) for the Ice Tigers; his second came on a two-man advantage to keep Nürnberg alive until the final three minutes.

Rapperswil-Jona spent less than half the power-play time Nürnberg did (6:22 vs 12:05) but scored more power-play goals (3 vs 2). That 75% penalty kill against a 40% PK efficiency for the Ice Tigers tells the real story: Nürnberg's discipline, not their offence, was the problem. They took six penalties totalling 10 PIM, conceded three PPGs, and never built sustained pressure from even strength.

Rapperswil's 16 PIM and four shorthanded situations could have been a weakness, but their PK held firm when it mattered — especially after the 52:47 high-sticking call on Tyler Moy that overlapped with Fritz's interference minor at 53:54, creating the two-man advantage Barratt scored on.

This was the final game of the 14th Lehner Cup for both sides. Rapperswil-Jona now turn to their National League pre-season schedule, with their next friendly listed against Lausanne HC. Nürnberg Ice Tigers continue DEL pre-season preparations; their next test is scheduled for 4 September 2026 against an opponent yet to be confirmed.

For a betting audience, the key takeaway is clear: Rapperswil-Jona's power play clicked at 50% (3/6 with the man advantage excluding abbreviated PPs), while Nürnberg's penalty kill (40%) was alarmingly porous.

A predictably open pre-season game decided by special teams. Rapperswil-Jona's power play was crisp and clinical; Nürnberg's was not far behind but their inability to stay out of the box proved fatal. Labanc and Rask look sharp ahead of the National League campaign, while the Ice Tigers have defensive structure to tighten before the DEL season begins.