Release from 31.03.2021

EC-KAC can secure first match puck

This press release has: 2 Images

Short text 430 CharactersPlain text

EC-KAC has the chance to secure a first matchpuck in the fight for the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League finals on Thursday on its home ice. Opponent EC Red Bull Salzburg is already under pressure with 0:2. In parallel, HCB Südtirol Alperia and spusu Vienna Capitals are tied 1:1, with the series moving back to Bolzano after two home wins by a one-goal difference each. Both semifinal games will be shown live by the ICE TV partners.

Press release 3640 CharactersPlain text

bet-at-home ICE Hockey League | semifinals #3 | Thursday, April 1st 2021:
Thu, 01.04.2021, 7.15 pm: HCB Südtirol Alperia – spusu Vienna Capitals
Referees: SIEGEL, SMETANA, Hribar, Zgonc. | >> SKY SPORT AUSTRIA << | >> VB 33 <<
“best-of-7” semifinal series: 1:1

  • The spusu Vienna Capitals tied the best-of-7 semifinal series with a 2:1 home win on Tuesday. Benjamin Nissner - who already scored in the first meeting - scored the game-winner around eleven minutes before the end.
  • Nissner scored his fourth playoff goal, three of which ultimately counted as game-winning goals.
  • Decisive for the Viennese was an aggressive penalty killing (5/5) and Bernhard Starkbaum. The goalie balanced at the end with a save percentage of 97.1%, stopped 33 shots on his goal. He was thus also named bet-at-home's top performer of the second semifinal matchday.
  • Neither team has managed a power play goal in this series. VIC missed a total of five opportunities, HCB their nine. Both teams are league leaders in overtime goals for the entire season: HCB (21.5% | #1) and VIC (21.2% | #2).
  • Six of the previous eight games were decided by just a one-goal difference. Each team has picked up four wins, with the home team winning four times.
  • Of the 55 duels against each other so far, VIC has won 33.
  • Rafael Rotter is one point short of his 100th postseason point (35G|65A).

Thu, 01.04.2021, 7.30 pm: EC-KAC – EC Red Bull Salzburg (PULS 24)
Referees: PIRAGIC, TRILAR, Durmis, Nothegger. | >> FREE LIVESTREAM PULS24 <<
“best-of-7” semifinal series: 2:0

  • The EC-KAC won 3:2 after overtime in Salzburg on Tuesday to move to 2:0 in the "best-of-7" semifinal series. Rok Ticar forced overtime for Klagenfurt with 26 seconds left - where Clemens Unterweger shorthanded the OT game-winner.
  • Two late penalties against John Hughes and Rick Schofield gave the "Rotjacken" a double overtime situation at the end, which they used to score the equalizer.
  • In its club history, the EC-KAC has been ahead 2:0 in "best-of-7" series twelve times so far, in eleven of which it ultimately won the confrontation. Only in the 2002 semifinals against Villach did such a lead be followed by four losses in a row and the end of the season.
  • As in the quarterfinal series against Dornbirn, Salzburg trailed 0:2 after two games. After that, the Bullen turned the series in their favor. Five times (in "best-of-7" mode) they have faced this stand - three times they managed the turnaround.
  • RBS has won 78 of 146 games so far. In Klagenfurt, the "Rotjacken" won 42 of 73 home games.
  • EC-KAC has a chance to get its sixth playoff win in a row on Thursday. The last time Vienna managed more postseason wins in a row was in 2017, when the Capitals "swept" their way to the title. The "Rotjacken" have only managed six or more playoff wins in a row three times since the league was founded.
  • EC-KAC has won each of its recent ten semifinal games season-long. In a semifinal game, the Klagenfurt team last had to leave the ice as losers on March 17, 2017 at home against EC Salzburg (1:4). This was followed by four wins in a row against the Bullen (2017) and the Graz 99ers (2019).
  • For RBS goalie JP Lamoureux, Stadthalle Klagenfurt is not a particularly good ground: since October 6, 2016, he did not record a win there as a starter of the respective away team. In four of his eleven appearances since then, he was substituted early.
  • RBS will also have to do without its suspended captain Thomas Raffl in Semifinal #3.
  • In addition to the long-term injured David Fischer, Paul Postma and Dennis Sticha, Steven Strong continues to be out.


All contents of this press release as .zip: Direct download Save to Lightbox

Images (2)

HCB vs. VIC
4 037 x 2 691 © (c) HCB / Vanna Antonello
KAC vs. RBS
2 598 x 1 730 © (c) EC-KAC/Kuess