Bolzano takes the lead | Race for playoffs and pre-playoffs gets tighter

Salzburg drops Innsbruck from top spot

Defending champions EC Red Bull Salzburg celebrated their third win in their third duel against HC TIWAG Innsbruck, thus clearing the way for HCB Südtirol Alperia to move up the table. Salzburg itself moved within two points of Innsbruck and is also only three points away from the new league leader - despite the reigning champions having played one game less so far. The Red Bulls almost experienced a déjà vu: Already on Sunday, the Bulls had to go into overtime in a game against the KAC that they thought they had already won. The team of Matt McIlvane could prevent this on Tuesday still narrowly. After a 3:0 lead in the middle period, Innsbruck started to catch up in the final period, reduced to 2:3 and even knocked on the equalizer. But the Red Bulls kept their nerves this time and managed to hold on to the narrow lead. Ty Loney, who played his fifth game in the last nine days (his first five games of the season) after his injury layoff, got on the scoresheet again and extended his goal-scoring streak to three games.



Fehérvár is back in the race for the Top-10

Hydro Fehérvár AV19 is back in the race for direct playoff qualification after a commanding 3-1 win over EC-KAC. After their second win in the last three games, the Hungarians are only two points behind the sixth-placed spusu Vienna Capitals. EC KAC is still one point ahead of Fehérvár after their fourth loss in a row, but also still separated from the top-6 by one point. After a scoreless starting third on Tuesday, the guests from Székesfehérvár acted much more efficiently at the beginning of the second and the third period and earned a 2-0 lead. The KAC was able to cut the deficit two minutes before the end, but was unable to turn the game around. For the second time in a row, Klagenfurt managed only one goal on home ice. With four losses in a row, the KAC has its longest losing streak in just under a year at the worst possible time. Both teams will be challenged again on Friday and are facing supposedly mandatory victories in the race for the top-6 and the associated early playoff qualification against teams in a worse position.

VSV maintains fourth place in table against Linz

EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV defended its fourth place in the standings in the direct duel with Steinbach Black Wings Linz. However, the guests from Upper Austria got off to a much better start, taking a 3:1 lead until the 23rd minute. The Black Wings then made life difficult for themselves by taking penalties and thus brought the Villach team back. The second goal of the evening by Anthony Luciani and a combination worth seeing between Robert Sabolic and Alexander Rauchenwald brought the equalizer by the 38th minute. The momentum could also be taken into the supposed last period: Andrew Desjardings needed less than a minute in the third period for Villach's first leading goal. The Black Wings did not give up and scored the equalizer just over a minute before the buzzer. In the overtime, Robert Sabolic then set up Blaz Tomazevic for the decisive 5:4. This allowed Villach to "double" their lead over their fiercest rivals to two points.



Fehérvár back in the race for Top-6 Bolzano takes over top of the table

On December 9, 2022, HCB Südtirol Alperia had to vacate the top position in the win2day ICE Hockey League and hand it over to HC TIWAG Innsbruck. A little more than a month later, the South Tyroleans made their way back to the top. After the old leader HC TIWAG Innsbruck lost in the parallel game against Salzburg, HCB Südtirol Alperia used its chance ice-cold and took over the top position after sovereign shoutout victory over the Moser Medical Graz99ers. In the goalless starting third on Tuesday, the Styrians initially had a bit more of the game. In the second period Bolzano then took control and acted more efficiently than its opponent. Especially the special teams of the Foxes were convincing. In three powerplays, the South Tyroleans scored two goals. Bolzano finally prevailed 3:0. For Andreas Bernard, who was favored over Sam Harvey on this evening, this was the third shutout of the season. After their third loss in a row, the 99ers are in the middle of the fight for the top-10 and thus for the pre-playoff spots. The current ninth-placed Graz team is only four points ahead of eleventh-placed Asiago, but the Italian league newcomer has played three games less than the 99ers so far.

Asiago wins direct duel in race for pre-playoffs

The race for the top-10 and the associated pre-playoff positions could hardly be more exciting. In the direct clash with tenth-placed HC Pustertal, Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey celebrated a 2-1 victory and is now only three points away from the Wolves - but has played four games less. For Asiago this was the first league win after six defeats before. With Pustertal the Yellow-Red might have found something like their favorite opponent, as they won three of the four season duels. However, every single encounter was decided by only one goal difference. The Wolves had the better start on Tuesday, taking the lead in the first period. However, two goals within one minute in the middle period decided the game in favor of Asiago.

win2day ICE Hockey League | 17.01.2023:

EC-KAC – Hydro Fehérvár AV19 1:3 (0:0,0:1,1:2)
Referees: FICHTNER, TRILAR, Bedynek, Gatol-Schafranek
Goals KAC: Bukarts (59.)
Goals AVS: Leclerc (22./PP1), Stipsicz (43.), Erdely (59./EN)

EC Red Bull Salzburg – HC TIWAG Innsbruck – Die Haie 3:2 (2:0,1:0,0:2)
Referees: SIEGEL, SMETANA, Nothegger, Seewald.
Goals RBS: Harnisch (5.), Loney (6.), Thaler (28.)
Goals HCI: Shaw (44.), Mackin (50.)

EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV – Steinbach Black Wings Linz 5:4 O.T. (1:2,2:1,1:1)
Referees: OFNER, STERNAT, Hribar, Puff.
Goals VSV: Luciani (29./PP2), Rauchenwald (38.), Desjardins (41.), Tomazevic (63.)
Goals BWL: Romig, Lebler, Mitsch, Knott (59.)

HCB Südtirol Alperia – Moser Medical Graz99ers 3:0 (0:0,2:0,1:0)
Referees: GROZNIK, NIKOLIC M., Eisl, Zgonc.
Goals HCB: Gazley (33.), Frattin (34./PP1), Thomas (42./PP1)

Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey – HC Pustertal Wölfe 2:1 (0:1,2:0,0:0)
Referees: HUBER, PIRAGIC, Miklic, Rigoni.
Goals ASH: Marchetti (34.), Finoro (35.)
Goals PUS: Catenacci (14.)