HC Fribourg-Gottéron overcame a difficult start to beat HK Nitra 6-1 in a key Champions Hockey League playoff-race game. Nitra controlled the opening 10 minutes and took the lead just past the six-minute mark, when Brett David Pollock scored from the slot after pressure forced a turnover.
Fribourg replied just over four minutes later. Jacob de la Rose set up Maximilian Streule, who beat Matej Mironov with a wrist shot. Henrik Borgström then put the hosts ahead with 36 seconds left in the first period, collecting the rebound after Anthony Richard’s individual effort.
Fribourg took control in the second. Lucas Hedlund was stopped on a penalty shot after being hauled down by Zach Osburn, but three minutes later he set up Sandro Schmid to make it 3-1. De la Rose created the next goal with a backhand pass from behind the net for Christoph Bertschy early in the third.
Samuel Walser and Jamiro Reber added further goals to complete the 6-1 victory and give the reigning Swiss champions three points in the regular-season standings.