Release from 04.04.2024

EC-KAC opens first final series against Salzburg since 2011 with a home game

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The "best-of-7" final series between Regular Season champion EC-KAC and defending champion EC Red Bull Salzburg starts tomorrow, Friday. This is the third time the two teams face each other in the finals after 2009 and 2011, when both series went into a game seven and both the KAC and the Red Bulls were crowned champions once each. Watch all final matches live and exclusively on PULS24.

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win2day ICE Hockey League | 05.04.2024 | Final 1:
Fri, 05.04.2024, 19:30: EC-KAC - EC Red Bull Salzburg
Referees: NIKOLIC M., OFNER, Durmis, Konc. >> PULS 24 (available worldwide) <<
Standings in the "best-of-7" series: 0:0
On Friday, the opening game of the first final series between the EC-KAC and EC Red Bull Salzburg since 2011 will take place in the already sold-out Heidi Horten Arena. The two teams have already faced each other nine times in the playoffs, most recently last season. Salzburg won the semifinals 4:1 on their way to their second title in a row and eighth championship overall. Klagenfurt has won the title six times so far.

The EC-KAC and EC Salzburg have met four times so far this season, with the Red Bulls winning three times, making them the only team in the league against whom the KAC has not picked up at least six points in the Regular Season. The defending champion won both of their home games against the KAC in mid-September and mid-January by 4:1. Four days before Christmas, Salzburg also defeated Klagenfurt in their own arena, with Ryan Murphy scoring the decisive goal in a 2:1 overtime victory. Just over a month earlier, however, the EC-KAC achieved its highest success in the 166 encounters between the two clubs in the EBEL and ICE to date: In the 8:1 victory on November 19, seven cracks from the KAC got on the scoresheet.

Playoff scorers
The EC-KAC first defeated the BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg 4:2 on their way to their first final appearance since 2021 before securing a sweep against the HC Pustertal in the semifinals. In the ten playoff games so far, 15 different players have scored a total of 36 goals. That's an average of 3.6 goals per game. The top scorer is Manuel Ganahl with five goals and six assists, followed by Johannes Bischofberger with four goals and three assists and Niki Kraus with four goals and two assists.

The EC Red Bull Salzburg beat the Steinbach Black Wings Linz 4:1 in the quarterfinals, while the defending champion had to go the full distance in the semifinal against the HCB Südtiroler. In the twelve playoff games so far, they have scored 37 goals, distributed among twelve different scorers. Captain Thomas Raffl leads the way with six goals and seven assists, followed by Mario Huber with six goals and four assists and Drake Rymsha with five goals. On average, the Red Bulls scored 3.1 goals per game.

Final opener comparison
In the 22 finals openers since the league was founded, the home team has won eleven times and the away team eleven times too. The EC-KAC has won eight of its ten finals openers, while Salzburg has only been victorious in four of its twelve finals openers. In the two previous final series between KAC and RBS, Klagenfurt has won the first encounter both times.

Dates of the final series:
Fri, 05.04.2024, 19:30 in Klagenfurt
Sun, 07.04.2024, 17:30 in Salzburg
Tue, 09.04.2024, 19:30 in Klagenfurt
Fri, 12.04.2024, 19:30 in Salzburg
Sun, 14.04.2024, 17:30 in Klagenfurt*
Tue, 16.04.2024, 19:30 in Salzburg*
Fri, 19.04.2024, 19:30 in Klagenfurt*
*) if necessary

Watch all final matches live and exclusively on PULS24.