Bolzano faces Salzburg in the top clash

win2day ICE Hockey League | Preview:
Sun, 06.11.2022, 16:00: HCB Südtirol Alperia - EC Red Bull Salzburg
Referees: LAZZERI, LEGA, Mantovani, Rigoni. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
For the second time this season, the absolute top clash of the win2day ICE Hockey League will take place on Sunday between league leader HCB Südtirol Alperia and the first pursuer EC Red Bull Salzburg. Both teams are separated by only three points, moreover the Red Bulls, who already have an active winning streak of six games, have played three games less. Bolzano clearly won the first meeting of the season in Salzburg with 5:2. At home, however, they could not win any of the past three competitive games against the Red Bulls and thus on Sunday the home record is in great danger, because the South Tyroleans could win all eight season games at the Sparkasse Arena after regular playing time so far. Salzburg, on the other hand, is still without a defeat away from home. Out of five games, they prevailed in four after regular playing time. On Friday, both teams did not show any weakness. The Foxes won 6:3 against Asiago in "Il Grande Classico", while RBS won 5:2 against third-placed Linz.

Sun, 06.11.2022, 16:30: Moser Medical Graz99ers - Steinbach Black Wings Linz
Referees: SIEGEL, ZRNIC, Gatol-Schafranek, Voican. | >> PULS 24 <<
With 50 saves, Moser Medical Graz99ers goalkeeper Christian Engstrand was the player of the 17th round on Friday and was thus also named win2day top performer. The 99ers won against Fehérvár 1:0 after shootout in the first 0:0 draw after regular playing time this season. It was their third win from the past four games, and they also picked up a point in the loss in Vienna. In addition, they never conceded more than two goals in regular playing time in the past four games. With 38 goals conceded, they share the third-best defense in the league with Bolzano. The Steinbach Black Wings Linz have only conceded two more goals so far this season. Due to the significantly better offense, the Upper Austrians are still in third place in the standings, while the Styrians are in seventh place with seven points and 18 goals scored less. The Black Wings suffered a 2:5 home defeat against Salzburg on Friday. Away from home, however, the Black Wings have been very consistent recently, with four wins in a row before losing narrowly 1:2 at Fehérvár. The 99ers were able to win the last two home games. Against the Black Wings, they walked off the ice as winners in eleven of the past thirteen games, including the first duel of the season in Linz (4:0). PULS 24 will broadcast the game live from 16:05.

Sun, 06.11.2022, 17:30: Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey - HC Pustertal Wölfe
Referees: BENVEGNU, PINIE, Basso, Pace. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
For the first time in the win2day ICE Hockey League it comes to the duel between Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey and the HC Pustertal Wölfe. A clash that has happened many times in the past in the Alps Hockey League and Serie A, mostly with the better end for Asiago, such as in the 2018 Alps Hockey League semifinal, which the team from Veneto won 3:0. They then went on to win one of their two AHL titles. However, things are not yet going well for Asiago in the win2day ICE Hockey League. With only four wins, they are only in twelfth place in the table and thus Pustertal also goes into Sunday's match as the favorite. Although the team from Bruneck is only two places ahead of Asiago in the table, with an active winning streak of three games, they are one of the hottest teams at the moment. On Friday they defeated the EC-KAC in overtime. Asiago lost to Bolzano in "Il Grande Classico" with 3:6.

Sun, 06.11.2022, 17:30: EC-KAC - spusu Vienna Capitals
Referees: FICHTNER, SMETANA, Riecken, Zgonc. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
The second top match of the 18th round will be played by the EC-KAC and spusu Vienna Capitals. Although both teams are currently not in the absolute top field, the Capitals are in fifth place with 24 points, the KAC is only ninth with 20 points, but in the recent past both teams delivered epic matches. Especially the semifinal series last season is still remembered, in which Vienna prevailed 3:2 in the deciding game. The game-winner was scored by Matt Bradley, who has scored eight goals this season so far. His active goal-scoring streak is three games. This season, both teams faced each other already on September 23rd in the STEFFL Arena. The KAC prevailed clearly with 4:0. However, the current form speaks in favor of the Viennese, who also won only two of the past five games, but do not have a three-game losing like the KAC. On Friday, the Klagenfurt team lost in Pustertal with 2:3/OT, the Capitals conceded a 3:4 home defeat against Innsbruck. In the new Heidi Horten Arena, the KAC is still waiting for their first win after regular playing time. Out of five games, they won only two after overtime or shootout.

Sun, 06.11.2022, 17:30: EC IDM Wärmepumpen VSV - HK SZ Olimpija
Referees: GROZNIK, TRILAR, Bärnthaler, Hribar. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
The EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV was free of play on Friday. In their last match on All Saints' Day, they lost to Salzburg with 2:4. It was already their fourth defeat from the past five games. Th HK SZ Olimpija, on the other hand, ended a four-game losing streak with a 6:2 home win over the Pioneers Vorarlberg on Friday. In the standings, the Slovenians are currently eleventh, just one point behind the tenth place and thus a pre-playoff spot. VSV, in turn, is only two points ahead of Olimpija in eighth place. The two teams have not yet faced each other this season. Last season, the duel even took place in the postseason. In the quarterfinals, the "Eagles" narrowly retained the upper hand with 4:3. In the deciding game, the Carinthians prevailed 4:1.