{sitelinkxoff}One month before the beginning of the postseason, the picture looks vastly different. Not only have all four started to score, but they have made such an impact on Zug’s game-plan that one might consider them to be one of the best import-quartets in the National League now. Zug’s success lies in their consistent and strong two-way game. Of vital importance therefore is the role of the centers. In order to gain possession they have to win face-offs. In the game without the puck they are the first forwards backchecking and they are driving the transitioning game out of their own zone.
The failure in the last two postseasons against Davos and Lugano respectively can be explained, among other factors, with lacking strength and depth down the middle. Team manager Reto Kläy addressed this issue by acquiring Jarkko Immonen and David McIntyre in the last two summers. They provide a huge upgrade over the likes of Robbie Earl, who was not strong enough defensively and was playing more effectively as a winger, Fabian Sutter, Nolan Diem or Emanuel Peter, who were all playing on the third line. As a result, Zug can roll three balanced lines who always look dangerous offensively and can dominate other third-lines. (The fourth line led by Diem is more of a traditional grinding energy-line.)
Strong leadership and two-way play
All three foreign centers bring different qualities to the team. This leads to different characteristics of the three lines, which have been together for almost the whole season (Martschini-Holden-Suri; Zangger-McIntyre-Lammer; Klingberg-Immonen-Senteler). There is not much new to say about Josh Holden, who, in his ninth season in Zug, is still the leader of the pack with his defensive responsibility, offensive production and intensity that is second to none. As was the case last season, he is more cool-headed and takes less unnecessary penalties than before.
After a discrete start to the season, McIntyre has proven that he belongs to the very best import-players in the NLA. While he has nothing fancy to his game, he does it all – very efficiently – and adds leadership. He leads the league in plus-minus (a statistic that in the NLA is still considered significant, contrary to the NHL, where new metrics to measure puck possession such as Corsi and Fenwick come to the fore), which speaks both of his playmaking and scoring abilities as well as of his responsible and physical play away from the puck. He ranks in the top five among imports in PK time on ice per game and is an essential part of the league’s second best penalty-kill. Additionally, the Canadian leads all EVZ forwards in overall time on ice per game (18:42) – although Immonen (18:39) and Holden (18:38) get almost the same amount of ice time.
More toughness and grit
Lastly, also Immonen works as hard as ever and continues to be a weapon in the faceoff circle. With a percentage of 59.59 faceoffs won, he trails only SCB's Martin Plüss among skaters with at least 100 faceoffs. Equally important is his net-front presence and strong physical play with his line-mates Klingberg and Senteler that add much-needed grit and toughness, which have lacked in the last couple of years. This brings us to Klingberg. Unjustly, he has been compared to former import-wingers such as Omark or Bouchard, who had wowed with their dazzling offensive performances and taken the league by storm with their high-end hockey sense. The Swede is a very different type of player, though, who goes to the crowded areas and won’t mind scoring dirty goals. His impact can’t solely be measured in goals and assists. Nevertheless, his start to the season was a bit underwhelming – one would have expected more than two goals and three assists after a third of the regular season. Although he didn’t change his game, his offensive production has taken off after the first international break in November, which makes him a shrewd acquisition as he has so many other qualities that help the team win – speed, physicality, net-front presence, high number of shot attempts.
Search for a fifth import goes on
While there is an argument to be made that Zug’s group of imports is one of the league’s best, there still might be some concern. First of all, the power-play, where the imports have important roles, ranks as one of the league’s worst. Secondly, speed or rather the lack thereof might become a problem. Though Holden and Immonen rely on smarts and have so far been able to make up for it, it might become a concern in a Playoff-series against a fast team such as Davos. Finally, to have some depth – especially in cases of poor play or injuries – it is advisable to hire a fifth import of quality, preferably another center to guarantee the strength down the middle.
