HC Kriens-Luzern saw off league leaders Kadetten Schaffhausen 38-32 in the National League A on Saturday, a result that reshuffled the top of the standings. The home side carried four wins from four into the fixture, while the visitors had already established themselves at the summit with nine points from five matches. And here's the thing — this wasn't a game that felt like it would go either way until the final whistle.
What struck watching was the tempo from the opening exchanges. Kriens-Luzern came out with intent, matching Kadetten's pace rather than retreating behind their defence. The visitors, accustomed to controlling matches from their position at the top, found themselves responding rather than dictating. By then, the pattern was set: end-to-end, nothing given away easily.
We had called this one — home win, 51 per cent confidence — and it came through. Not because the form suggested it, but because games at this level often hinge on three or four moments rather than sustained dominance. Kadetten had the deeper squad and the experience, but Kriens-Luzern felt the pressure and didn't buckle.
The away side's recent record speaks for itself: four wins and a draw in their last five before this defeat. They had beaten Bern away, drawn with Pfad Winterthur, and seen off ZG Zürich comfortably. But on this occasion, they switched off at the back when it mattered. The scoreline doesn't lie — 38 goals conceded is a lot against any opposition.
For Kriens-Luzern, the five previous matches tell a different story. They lost to Magdeburg and Kędzierzyn-Koźle, drew with Bern, but beat staff and Vacker Tун. This win extends their unbeaten run to eight, moving them level on points with Kadetten but ahead on goal difference. To be fair, the table goes out the window in these games.
The result means Kriens-Luzern now sit second with eight points from four matches, while Kadetten drop to third with nine points from five. A one-point gap, but the momentum has shifted. By then, the visitors would have needed something special to turn it around, and special didn't arrive.
