Release from 24.02.2018
On Sunday the fight for important points continues. There are four direct duels for positions with Servus Hockey Night broadcasting EC VSV against Fehervar AV19.
Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 25.02.2018, 7th Pick Round:
Vienna Capitals vs. EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz (17:30)
HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ vs. EC-KAC (17:30)
EC Red Bull Salzburg vs. KHL Medvescak Zagreb (17:30)
Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 25.02.2018, 7th Qualification Round:
Dornbirn Bulldogs vs. HCB Südtirol Alperia (17:30)
Moser Medical Graz99ers vs. HC Orli Znojmo (18:00)
Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 7th Pick Round:
Sun, 25.02.2018: Vienna Capitals vs. EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz (17:30)
Referees: BALUSKA, SIEGEL, Nagy, Nemeth.
- While Linz earned a home win against Innsbruck on Friday, the Caps suffered a home defeat against Salzburg
- In the first Pick ROund meeting the Upper Austrians won a spectacular game 7:6 after shootout
- The Viennese lead 3:2 this seasonbut two last two went to Linz
- The last six games betweens these clubs were always decided by just one goal
- The league's top scorers Rafael Rotter (65 points - 27 goals and 38 assists) and Corey Locke (66 points - 20 goals and 44 assists) will meet on the ice
Serge Aubin (Head coach Vienna Capitals): „I expect that my team bounces back tomorrow. We have to play our game for 60 minutes and stay out of the penalty box.“
Absentee: Sascha Bauer
Troy Ward (Head coach Liwest Black Wings Linz): „At the moment not every player on the team plays at his best. We work hard as a team but if not everybody plays at his best, it will be hard to win games.“
Sun, 25.02.2018: HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ vs. EC-KAC (17:30)
Referees: GRUBER, KELLNER, Ettlmayr, Pardatscher.
- After an unlucky defeat in Linz, Innsbruck welcomes Klagenfurt in a fight for fourth place on Sunday
- The Carinthians clinched their first Pick Round wins after the international break by beating Zagreb twice
- Innsbruck wo three of five season meeting against KAC with Tyler Spurgeon getting two goals, eight assists and +5
- KAC has only won one of the last seven road games in Tirol
- The two teams have met 100 times in Erste Bank Eishockey Liga with Klagenfrt getting 58 wins
Jeremie Blain (HC TWK Innsbruck): „Klagenfurtis dangerous again, they have enough quality on the team.“
Absentee: Mitch Wahl
Mitja Robar (EC-KAC): „The Olympic Games were a great experience and now I try to take the flow to Klagenfurt. Innsbruck plays very well at home, we have to be focused.“
Doubtful: Marco Richter
Absentee: Kevin Kapstad (suspension)
Sun, 25.02.2018: EC Red Bull Salzburg vs. KHL Medvescak Zagreb (17:30)
Referees: K. NIKOLIC, ROHATSCH, Bärnthaler, Verworner.
- On Friday the Red Bulls took revenge on Vienna for the previous defeat and secured the second place
- Zagreb dropped to last palce in Pick Round with two defeats against Klagenfurt
- Salzburg won three of five season meetings - in their last encounter the Red Bulls turned a 0:2 deficit around in the last three minutes to win 3:2
- Zagreb's Sondre Olden has earned six goals and two assists against Salzburg this season
- Thomas Raffl will make his comeback for the Red Bulls
Rob Schremp (EC Red Bull Salzburg): „It's always tough to play a teamtwice and face another opponent then. We have to be prepared and ready.“
Doutful: Matthias Trattnig
Absentees: Alexander Cijan (ill) and Alexander Rauchenwald (injured)
Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 7th Qualification Round:
Sun, 25.02.2018: Dornbirn Bulldogs vs. HCB Südtirol Alperia (17:30)
Referees: M. NIKOLIC, SMETANA, Schauer, Sparer.
- Dornbirn leads the Qualification Round after the last two wins against Graz with a six-point advantage to Bolzano
- The foxes enter the top game with a four-game winning streak and climbed to second place for the first time
- In this season's five games HCB won three times with two games going into overtme
- Dustin Sylvester (Dornbirn) and Chris DeSousa (Bolzano) each scored three goals in these encounters
- Dornbirn has won the last five home games with four of thembeing decided by only one goal
Thomas Vallant (Dornbirn Bulldogs): „Bolzano is in good shape. We have to improve defensively and avoid puck losses in the neutral zone. Then we have good chances for another win.“
Kai Suikkanen (Head coach HCB Südtirol Alperia): „We are very happy that we beat Villach twice but we took too many penalties. We can’t do that in any games.“
Referees: PIRAGIC, ZRNIC, Kontschieder, Seewald.
- Villach lost both games after the international break against Bolzano while Fehervar earned four points against Znojmo
- Fourt-placed Villach is next to Fehervar (3rd) in the standings - they only hava one resp. two point deficit to a quarterfinal spot
- Four of five games were hard-fought and decided by only one goal - the Hungarians held the upper hand three times
- Four times the opening period ended tied with three times no goals being scored in the first 20
- Despite having lots of chances the Hungarians lost the first Qualification Round meeting after shootout, 1:2
Markus Peintner (Headcoach EC VSV): „We did not play well in Bolzano and lost too many battles for the puck. We have to be more determined.“
Sun, 25.02.2018: Moser Medical Graz99ers vs. HC Orli Znojmo (18:00)
Referees: BERNEKER, STOLC, Angerer, Kaspar.
- Afterx successive defeats Graz has no more playoff chances
- After losing to Fehervar on Friday the Czechs have a five-point deficit to the playoff spots
- In the previous five season meetings the home teams always won - Znojmo leads 3:2
- The Czechs lost their last three games in Graz (last win on 9.12.2016)
- David Bartos has gained points in all season meetings with Graz (three goals and three assists)
Doug Mason (Headcoach Moser Medical Graz99ers): „We just missed our goal to make the top six and then some things went wrong. The teams has shown will power in Dornbirn.“
Erik Němec (HC Orli Znojmo): „We still have hope but it has not become easier. We have to give everything and use our chances.“
Photo: Soós Attila (Fehérvár AV19)