Another full round in the fight for the Playoffs and Pre-Playoffs

win2day ICE Hockey League | 28.12.2022:
Wed, 28.12.2022, 19:15: Moser Medical Graz99ers - EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV
Referees: OFNER, SIEGEL, Bärnthaler, Gatol-Schafranek . | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
On Boxing Day, both the Moser Medical Graz99ers and the EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV lost. For the 99ers it was already the third defeat in a row. In total, Graz have already been waiting for a goal for two games or 134 minutes and 30 seconds. In the standings, the second-weakest offensive team in the win2day ICE Hockey League has to fear for the pre-playoffs more than ever. As tenth in the table, they are currently only one point ahead of eleventh place and Pustertal. VSV is still in a strong third place and is six points ahead of seventh-placed KAC. Both teams have faced each other twice so far this season. In both duels, Graz surprisingly kept the upper hand (4:2 & 2:1). Looking at the past ten direct duels, the balance is even (5:5).

Wed, 28.12.2022, 19:15: spusu Vienna Capitals - Steinbach Black Wings Linz
Referees: FICHTNER, HLAVATY, Durmis, Voican.
While the spusu Vienna Capitals were free from play on Boxing Day, the Steinbach Black Wings Linz celebrated a 2:1/SO win against champions Salzburg. The Capitals conceded a 3:4/OT defeat in their last game, on December 23rd, but were in front 3:2 in the meantime after a strong second period with three goals. It was the fifth home loss for the Viennese, who have only played eleven home games. Around Christmas time, however, the Capitals are enormously strong, as confirmed by an "X-Mas Games" statistic. Looking at all games between Christmas and New Year's Day, no team has been more successful than the spusu Vienna Capitals in recent years. Against the Black Wings, however, another victory at Christmas time will be a difficult task, because the Upper Austrians could win five of the past six games. Against the Capitals, they were victorious in one of two games this season. Both duels ended 5:2, and a high-scoring game can also be expected Wednesday. In the past seven encounters, at least five goals have always been scored.

Wed, 28.12.2022, 19:15: HC TIWAG Innsbruck – Die Haie - HC Pustertal Wölfe
Referees: NIKOLIC K., SMETANA, Pardatscher, Riecken. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
League HC TIWAG Innsbruck – Die Haie is, apart from the loss against Asiago on December 23rd (1:3), in absolute top form. On Boxing Day, they prevailed in the top match at the VSV with 5:1. They decided a close game until the second period (1:1) clearly in their favor with four goals in the final period. The league's best power play team by far scored two goals in in the powerplay. With a success rate of 32.32%, the Sharks are currently more than 8% more successful than first-pursuer Salzburg. Overall, Innsbruck has won seven of the past ten games. In the table, their advance to the first chaser Bolzano is four points. The lead over the seventh place is already 15 points. Opponent HC Pustertal Wölfe celebrated a 9:0 victory against the Pioneers Vorarlberg on Boxing Day. It was already their third win of the season with seven or more goals scored, one of which was against Innsbruck (8:3), and certainly a liberating blow after previously losing four in a row. In the table, they are eleventh, just one point behind the tenth place and thus the pre-playoffs.

Wed, 28.12.2022, 19:15: HK SZ Olimpija - EC-KAC
Referees: STERNAT, TRILAR, Hribar, Miklic. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
With six defeats in a row, the HK SZ Olimpija is currently in crisis. In the standings, they have already slipped out of the top-10 and are only in twelfth place. They are four points behind the tenth place. With the KAC, the Slovenians, who lost 2:5 at home to Asiago on Monday, are up against a team in very good shape. Klagenfurt scored in eight of the last nine games and won six of them. On St. Stephen's Day, they were only narrowly defeated by second-placed Bolzano 1:2/OT. As seventh in the table, they are only one point behind the playoff places. Both previous season duels with Olimpija were won by the KAC (3:1 & 4:2). Overall, the Carinthians won four of six duels with the Slovenians in the ICE.

Wed, 28.12.2022, 19:30: BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg - EC Red Bull Salzburg
Referees: BERNEKER, NIKOLIC M., Martin, Sparer. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
After the 0:9 defeat in Pustertal on Monday, league newcomer BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg will host reigning champion EC Red Bull Salzburg for the second time on Wednesday. The first encounter in the Vorarlberghalle was surprisingly won by the bottom of the table with 2:1/SO. At the Red Bulls, however, they lost clearly with 1:6. Salzburg is in fourth place in the table. On Boxing Day, they lost 1:2/SO in Linz. It was their fifth defeat in the past ten games. Away they were even victorious in only four of the past ten games. The Pioneers, on the other hand, celebrated a surprising 5:4 home win against second-placed Bolzano on December 23rd, but overall they have only been victorious in four of 15 home games this season.

Wed, 28.12.2022, 19:45: HCB Südtirol Alperia - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey
Referees: PIRAGIC, VIRTA, Rigoni, Weiss. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
For the third time it comes to the clash in the win2day ICE Hockey League between the HCB Südtirol Alperia and Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey. So far, the home team has always had the upper hand. Also on Wednesday an exciting duel is to be expected. Although both teams are separated by 25 points in the table, with four wins from the last five games (HCB) and five wins from the last seven games (ASH), both second-placed Bolzano and ninth-placed Asiago are in top shape. Especially the league newcomer from Veneto recently collected many important points in the fight for the pre-playoffs. The 5:2 win at Olimpija on Boxing Day put the Italians back in the Top-10 and on course for the pre-playoffs. A first-time win in Bolzano, however, will be a difficult task for Asiago. The Foxes conceded only two home defeats in the current season, against Villach (11.12.) and Vienna (19.11.).