Double Derby Time

win2day ICE Hockey League, 20.12.2022 | Schedule:
19:15 Moser Medical Graz99ers - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey
Referees: HRONSKY, SIEGEL, Jedlicka, Konc

The Moser Medical Graz99ers will meet Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey on Tuesday. While the Styrians recently won for the second time this season against EC Red Bull Salzburg, Asiago - after its two wins against BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg - suffered a defeat against Steinbach Black Wings Linz. The 99ers once again had goalkeeper Christian Engstrand to thank for their success against the reigning champions. The goalkeeper with the highest save percentage in the league saved 35 shots against the Red Bulls. In the standings, Graz now holds a nine-point lead over Asiago. While the Styrians want to slowly approach the top-6, the league newcomer is fighting for a top-10 position. Currently, the gap to tenth-placed HK SZ Olimpija is five points. In the two previous duels between Asiago and Graz, the away team prevailed 3:2 in each case.

19:15 Steinbach Black Wings Linz - HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana
Referees: FICHTNER, SMETANA, Moidl, Nothegger

The Steinbach Black Wings Linz will host HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana on Tuesday. The Upper Austrians have won three of their past four games - most recently celebrating a 4-2 victory over Migross Supermercati Asiago. Ljubljana, on the other hand, is looking to get back on track after three narrow defeats in a row. The Slovenians are currently just above the top 10, but their first rivals are already breathing down the green dragons' necks. The Black Wings have won both of the season's duels so far, but both of them were hard-fought. In the first encounter, Graham Knott redeemed his team in overtime. In the second duel ten days ago in Slovenia, both teams delivered a heated exchange of blows, especially with their special teams. The Upper Austrians did not shy away from a five-minute shorthanded period, but scored two goals themselves with a man down, laying the foundation for a 5:4 away win. The Linz team can report some relief in their personnel situation: With Michael Haga, Niklas Bretschneider and Jakob Mitsch, the national players of the past week returned to the Linz ice. Julian Pusnik, however, has to sit out due to illness.

19:15 HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Hydro Fehérvár AV 19
Referees: NIKOLIC K., SCHAUER, Seewald, Sparer

HC TIWAG Innsbruck defended their lead in the standings on Sunday with a narrow victory over HK SZ Olimpia Ljubljana. With this, the Tyroleans succeeded with a perfect six point weekend. Especially Adam Helweka was unstoppable this weekend. The 27-year-old Canadian scored a brace in both games and took the lead in the win2day ICE Hockey League scorer ranking. Hydro Fehérvár AV19, meanwhile, ended the weekend without a single point. First, the Hungarians had to admit defeat against EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV, before they had to accept a significant defeat as guests in Bolzano. Now the third top 3 team is waiting within a few days. The Innsbruck team has dominated this season, especially on the power play. With 29 goals in numerous advantage so far, they have scored more than twice as many powerplay goals as the Hungarians. However, the Hungarians have an excellent penalty killing record - 86.8% of their situations in a shorthanded situation have gone unharmed. Innsbruck and Fehérvár meet for the third time this season. The first two encounters were decided by the Sharks. In both games, however, the Hungarians held an interim lead.

19:30 ED iDM Heat pumps VSV - EC-KAC
Referees: TRILAR, ZRNIC, Miklic, Snoj

Already for the third time the fans of the win2day ICE Hockey League can look forward to the Carinthian derby this season. The first two meetings already held, what this duel promises each time anew. After the shootout home win of the EC-KAC in October, the perfect answer of the Eagles followed with a shootout win in Villach in December. Thus, the fans got the maximum possible playing time of Kärnter derbies delivered so far. In the third meeting, the two teams duel again in Villach. In the last nine duels, the Eagles have never been able to take the full points. The last "three-pointer" in a derby from VSV dates back to March 14, 2021. The EC-KAC, on the other hand, even scored points in 25 of the most recent 29 encounters. Since 2015, VSV has not been able to win two duels in a row against its local rival. However, the Villach side has recently put together an impressive run in the league. With five wins in a row, they are only one win short of equaling the longest winning streak this season by EC Red Bull Salzburg. The Eagles have already recorded five wins in a row once in the current season. However, EC-KAC also got into better swing recently and scored in five of its last six league games - out of the most recent four games, only the one against the bottom team from Vorarlberg was lost. 

19:45 HCB Südtirol Alperia - HC Pustertal
Referees: BERNEKER, NIKOLIC M., Martin, Pardatscher

HCB Südtirol Alperia and HC Pustertal will also play their already third derby of this season on Tuesday. After HC Pustertal could win the derby balance last season, the Foxes started this season with two derby victories. Especially Mike Halmo seems to be unstoppable by the Wolves this season. The 31-year-old Canadian currently holds at three derby goals this season. In the team of Pustertal has changed a lot since the last derby: With the Finn Tomek Valtonen is a new head coach behind the board. There has also been a change in players, with Morten Jensen, Ben Newhouse and Aaron Luchuk leaving the team and Nick Plastino and Johan Harju signing on. However, the current form also seems to be clearly in favor of Bolzano. While the second-placed team in the table has taken full points in five of its last seven games, Pustertal has won just one of its last six. With a success, the team from Bruneck could nevertheless already make the leap back into the top 10. Bolzano, on the other hand, has the chance to take the lead from Innsbruck with three points, but would have to hope for a defeat of the Sharks at the same time.

win2day ICE Hockey League, 21.12.2022 | Schedule:
spusu Vienna Capitals - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey

In the only Wednesday game of the win2day ICE Hockey League, the spusu Vienna Capitals welcome Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey. While the Viennese got back on track last Sunday after four losses in a row and defeated the BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg, Asiago lost to the Steinbach Black Wings Linz on Saturday after two wins recently. For Vienna and Asiago it is the first ever meeting. In the standings, the Caps remain within striking distance of the top-6 despite the recent losing streak, trailing sixth-placed Fehérvár by six points with two games less. Asiago, on the other hand, is fighting to stay in the top 10, with the newcomer currently five points behind tenth place.