Release from 25.02.2018
While the Pick Round leading duo Vienna Capitals and EC Red Bull Salzburg suffered defeats, the Dornbirn Bulldogs claimed a playoff spot with a 4:1 home win against Bolzano. In addition, Fehervar AV19 made a big step towards postseason.
Medvescak gets OT win in Salzburg
A first period brace by Sondre Olden gave Medvescak a well-deserved 2:0 lead at Volksgarten. After the restart the Red Bulls became stronger and took over command. Just 37 seconds after Raphael Herburger got his team on the score board, Dominique Heinrich tied it at two. Late in the period Rob Schremp lit the lamp after a nice pass from Peter Mueller - 3:2 Salzburg. The third period was a mere 36 seconds old when former Red Bulls player Michael Boivin equalized it but jsut one minute later Herburger restored the home lead. Now it was an open exchange of blows with Boivin just hitting the post. Soon later Ivan jankovic made it four all on a breakaway. The game went into overtime where the visitors used their second power play with a goal by Garrett Noonan for the decision.
Linz beats Caps once again
With Linz receivining two early penalties, Niki Hartl made the breakthrough on a rebound with a two men advtange. However, the visitors became better and Fabio Hofer's goal halfway through the first rang the turnaround in. Corey Locke and Dan DaSilva scored two more first period goals for Linz - 1:3. Rafael Rotter halved the deficit with a deflection but the Upper Austrians had a perfect answer by Stefan Gaffal. Late in the middle frame Caps captain Andreas Nödl pulled one back again - 3:4. With just a few chances early in the third, Ryan McKiernan tied it at four from sharp angle. Now Vienna pressed hard for the next goal but Linz scored when Brian Lebler lit the lamp on power play. A breakaway goal by Locke was the game winner as Taylor Vause had the final say - 6:5 for Linz.
Innsbruck overcomes KAC with home victory
Despite having an early power play, Klagenfurt could not create any chances. After nine minutes Innsbruck took the lead with John Lammers finishing a nice combination from Tyler Spurgeon and Hunter Bishop. The hosts controlled the game and Andrew Yogan even doubled it before the first intermission. Things did not really change in the second and Lammers added his second before the halfway point of the game. Just a few seconds later Steven Strong got the Carinthians on the scoreboard but late in the period Morten Poulsen restored the three-goal lead for Innsbruck. Julian Talbot's second goal for Klagenfurt was not enough in the third and the fourth-placed sharks overtook their opponent in the standings.
Dornbirn makes postseason with home win against Bolzano
Bolzano missed some good chances early as they could not convert a 5 on 3 power play. Halfway through the first the hosts were more efficient when Dustin Sylvester's backhander opened the scoring. In a late power play, Scott Timmins doubled the lead on a deflection after a Connelly shot. Just 15 seconds into the middle frame Bolzano's Mike Halmo had to go to the penalty box and DEC captain Jamie Arniel added a third. It was the only goal of the second as Ziga Pance missed another good opportunity. Early in the third Austin Smith got the foxes on the scoreboard while playing with a man advantage. The visitors could not beat DEC goalie Rasmus Rinne a second time, though, and Brodie Reid made the game safe with an empty netter. As 7th team Dornbirn has qualified for playoffs now.
Fehervar claims three points n Villach
In a big game for both sides Kyle Beach scored the first periods lone goal for a VSV lead. The visitors came back in a lower-paced second when Janos Hari scored with a blue liner. Soon later Jeff LoVeccio turned the game around on a deflection but Villach's captain tied it at two after a solo attempt soon later. It was an exciting game now and it looked like the next goal could decide it. With eight minutes to go it was Meland who found the back of the net for another Fehervar lead. In a final push, the hosts failed to score on a power play and finally Uotila scored into the empty net for a 4:2 road win.
OT win against Znojmo not enough for Graz
Graz came out hard and got a comfortable lead in the first as Daniel Woger, Evan Brophey (sh) and Anthony Camara made it 3:0. Znojmo goalie Marek Schwarz left his crease after the third goal against. In the second Znojmo did better offensively and Cody Corbett's power play marker got them back into the game. Early in the third Novak made it a one-goal game and after pulling the goalie, Tomas Guman sent it to overtime with a late equalizer. Despite Clemens Unterweger decided the game to Graz' favour, the Styrians have no more playoff chances.
Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 7th Pick Round:
Sun. 25.02.2018: EC Red Bull Salzburg – KHL Medvescak Zagreb 4:5 OT (0:2,3:0,1:2,0:1)
Referees: K. NIKOLIC/ROHATSCH, 2.480 spectators
Goals RBS: Herburger (25.;42./pp), Heinrich (25.), Schremp (36.)
Goals MZA: Olden (7.;8.), Boivin (41.), Jankovic (49.), Noonan (65.)
Sun, 25.02.2018: HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ vs. EC-KAC 4:2 (2:0, 2:1, 0:1)
Referees: GRUBER, KELLNER, Ettlmayr, Pardatscher; 2.500 spectators
Goals HCI: Lammers (9., 29.), Yogan (15.), Poulsen (38./pp)
Goals KAC: Strong (30.), Talbot (48.
Sun, 25.02.2018: Vienna Capitals - EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz 5:6 (1:3, 2:1, 2:2)
Referees: BALUSKA, SIEGEL, Nagy, Nemeth; 4.950 spectators
Goals Capitals: 1:0 Hartl (4./PP2), 2:3 Rotter (27.), 3:4 Nödl (39.), 4:4 McKiernan (45.), 5:6 Vause (54.)
Goals Linz: 1:1 Hofer (11.), 1:2 Locke (14.), 1:3 DaSilva (17./PP), 2:4 Gaffal (29.), 4:5 Lebler (48/PP), 4:6 Locke (53.)
Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 7th Qualification Round:
Sun, 25.02.2018: EC VSV vs. Fehervar AV19 2:4 (1:0, 1:2, 0:2)
Referees: PIRAGIC, ZRNIC, Kontschieder, Seewald; 2.685 spectators
Goals VSV: Beach (13.), N. Petrik (31.)
Goals Fehervar: Meland (27./pp), LoVecchio (29.), Uotila (59./en)
Sun, 25.02.2018: Dornbirn Bulldogs vs. HCB Südtirol Alperia 4:1 (2:0, 1:0, 1:1)
Referees: M. NIKOLIC, SMETANA, Schauer, Sparer; 2.960 spectators
Goals DEC: 1:0 Sylvester (10.), 2:0 Timmins (18./pp), 3:0 Arniel (21./pp), 4:1 Reid (58./en)
Goal HCB: 3:1 Smith (43./pp)
Sun, 25.02.2018: Moser Medical Graz99ers vs. HC Orli Znojmo 4:3 OT (3:0, 0:1, 0:2, 1:0)
Referees: BERNEKER, STOLC, Angerer, Kaspar; 911 spectators
Goals Graz: Woger (11.), Brophey (13./sh), Camara (17./pp), Unterweger (65./pp)
Goals Znojmo: Corbett (26./pp), Novak (42.), Guman (59.)