Direct duels for playoffs and pre-playoffs on Tuesday

win2day ICE Hockey League | 17.01.2023:
Tue, 17.01.2023, 19:15: EC-KAC - Hydro Fehérvár AV19
Referees: FICHTNER, TRILAR, Bedynek, Gatol-Schafranek. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
After a hard fight the EC-KAC secured a point in Salzburg on Sunday. Two seconds before the end of regular playing time, Fabian Hochegger tied the game at 3:3, but in the end the Red Bulls prevailed 4:3 in overtime. For the KAC, however, it was already the third defeat in a row. In the standings, they are currently seventh, one place and one point outside the direct playoff places. Hydro Fehérvár AV19 is as eight five points behind the top six. The Hungarians were not in action last weekend. Before that, they lost twice within five days against Salzburg. In between, the team from Székesfehérvár was successful against Bolzano. It was their only victory from the past five games. Against the KAC, Fehérvár managed to win one of the three meetings so far this season. They lost 2:3/OT in Klagenfurt after leading 2:0 after 17 minutes.

Tue, 17.01.2023, 19:15: EC Red Bull Salzburg - HC TIWAG Innsbruck – Die Haie
Referees: SIEGEL, SMETANA, Nothegger, Seewald. | >> FREE-LIVESTREAM <<
Defending champion EC Red Bull Salzburg returned to winning ways on Sunday thanks to a 4:3/OT win over the EC-KAC after losing 2:5 in Villach on Friday, their first loss after previously winning seven straight. Against the KAC, however, they missed the three points they already thought were safe. Until the 55th minute, the Red Bulls were still leading 3:1, only to have to go into overtime. On Tuesday, the HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie, the league leader, will be in Salzburg. The Tyrolean team is currently two points ahead of first pursuer Bolzano and already 15 points ahead of Salzburg, which follows in third place in the standings. The Sharks prevailed in Klagenfurt with 2:1 on Friday. It was already their tenth win from the past twelve games. Against the Red Bulls, however, the best offense in the league had no chance in both season duels. In the Eisarena Salzburg they lost 1:5, in front of their home crowd they lost 2:5.

Tue, 17.01.2023, 19:15: EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV - Steinbach Black Wings Linz
Referees: OFNER, STERNAT, Hribar, Puff. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
Important points in the fight for the Top-6 are at stake in the match the EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV against Steinbach Black Wings Linz. The VSV, in fourth place in the table, currently has a seven-point lead over the seventh place. Immediately behind them and only one point behind are the Steinbach Black Wings Linz in fifth place. Both teams recently celebrated important victories after previously being in a crisis. The Black Wings prevailed 5:0 against the Pioneers Vorarlberg on Sunday, picking up their first win after previously losing two straight and four of their past five games. Villach even managed to win all of their past two games after previously conceding three losses en suite. On Friday, they won against reigning champion Salzburg with 5:2. John Hughes scored twice. It was his second brace in a row.

Tue, 17.01.2023, 19:45: HCB Südtirol Alperia - Moser Medical Graz99ers
Referees: GROZNIK, NIKOLIC M., Eisl, Zgonc. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
With only two points behind league leader Innsbruck, the HCB Südtirol Alperia could theoretically take over the top of the table on Tuesday. The Foxes will play against the Moser Medical Graz99ers, who have failed to win either of their past two games and are ninth in the standings, fighting for the pre-playoffs. Currently, their lead over eleventh-placed Asiago is seven points. However, the Styrians have already played three games more than the Italians. With Bolzano, the 99ers are up against one of the currently best performing teams, with eight wins from their past ten games. At home, the strongest home team in the win2day ICE Hockey League has never lost in the past seven games. Overall, the South Tyroleans conceded only two home defeats in 19 home games. Against Graz, the second-best defense in the league had to concede only one goal in each of the two previous season duels. For their part, they scored four and three goals respectively. Graz has been waiting for a win in Bolzano since October 16th, 2020.

Tue, 17.01.2023, 19:45: Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey - HC Pustertal Wölfe
Referees: HUBER, PIRAGIC, Miklic, Rigoni. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
With one win from three games Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey returned to Veneto from the Continental Cup Final Tournament from Angers (FRA). Nevertheless, the Italians finished the tournament only in fourth and last place. The tournament victory went to Nitra (SVK), which will participate in the Champions Hockey League next season. There is no time for a break for Asiago, because in the ICE Hockey League the HC Pustertal Wölfe is waiting as a direct competitor for the pre-playoffs. The team from Bruneck is currently one place and six points ahead of Asiago in tenth place and thus holds the last pre-playoff spot, but with three games more played. With two wins from the past six games, Pustertal is currently in much better shape than Asiago, who could not win any of the past six games in the league. They also lost to Pustertal in this period narrowly with 1:2/OT. The second duel of the season also went into overtime, but this time the team from Veneto had the better end for itself (3:2/OT). Only in the first ICE duel the winner was already decided after 60 minutes, also with the final score of 3:2 for Asiago.