Riga edged past HC Panter Tallinn 2:1 in the Optibet Hockey League on Saturday evening, 2026-09-26. The hosts secured all three points after a season that has been anything but kind to them so far.
By then, Riga sat eighth in the table with five games played, one win, no draws, four defeats, and zero points. Panter Tallinn were seventh after three matches, one victory, two losses, also on zero points. The standings tell you very little at this stage — the season has barely begun.
And here's the thing about Riga's form. Their last five results read 2:4 loss to Panter, 1:9 defeat to Mogo, 0:3 against Kievskie Stoletsy, 1:4 at Mogo, and 4:3 over Panx Vilnius. They had lost to Panter 2:4 on their previous meeting on 2026-09-16. This time they turned it around, but it wasn't a statement win.
To be fair, we had backed the visitors at 51% confidence. The prediction didn't materialise. Panter came to Riga on the back of a 1:4 loss to Mogo on 2026-09-23, and couldn't find their rhythm against a side that had been struggling all season. The hosts were desperate, and desperation makes teams dangerous.
The result leaves Riga still on zero points after five games, but it breaks a run of four consecutive defeats. Panter remain seventh after three matches, also on zero points. Both clubs have work to do before the table starts to mean anything.
