Release from 23.11.2023

Four-way battle for the lead in the table and Tyrolean derby to catch up with the top 6

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For the first time this season, the Steinbach Black Wings Linz go into a game day with the lead in the standings and want to keep it after the game against the BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg and the 23rd round of the win2day ICE Hockey League. Three other teams are waiting in the wings and have the chance to be right at the top on Friday evening. EC Red Bull Salzburg, who are level on points, will be looking to bounce back from two consecutive defeats against HK SZ Olimpia and regain the lead. Hydro Fehérvár AV19, like Linz and Salzburg, is currently on 41 points and will be looking to follow up their 10-1 victory last week with another win against the Moser Medical Graz99ers. The fourth contender for the top spot is the EC-KAC, who is aiming for their fourth win in a row against Pustertal, but will have to hope for defeats from the top trio. HCB Südtirol Alperia and HC TIWAG Innsbruck will duel in the Tyrolean derby to close the gap on the top six, while EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV will be looking to end its losing streak against the spusu Vienna Capitals.

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win2day ICE Hockey League | Fri., 24.11.2023:

19:15: EC-KAC - HC Pustertal
Referees: GROZNIK, SIEGEL, Bärnthaler, Gatol-Schafranek >> live.ice.hockey <<

The EC-KAC recently celebrated an 8:1 victory over EC Red Bull Salzburg. It was the highest win for KAC since the 7:0 in the 2021 pre-playoff against HCB Südtirol Alperia. The last even higher victory was a derby win on December 26, 2021. With the blow-out win last Sunday, Klagenfurt closed the gap at the top of the table - the top trio (first to third place have the same number of points) is now only two points ahead of the KAC. In the same game, Klagenfurt also scored two goals within six seconds. There has only been one faster brace by a team in league history: Steinbach Black Wings Linz scored twice in just five seconds against Klagenfurt in 2017 (details can be found here). On Friday, the KAC, who have now gone three games without dropping a point, face HC Pustertal, who were able to halt their "free fall" in the table on Thursday. After six defeats in seven games, the Wolves managed a 4:3 victory over EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV. The South Tyroleans were able to stay just above the "red line" in the table. The first meeting between Pustertal and Klagenfurt was won 5:3 by the Wolves in Bruneck. Klagenfurt are a force in the Heidi Horten Arena and have won 26 out of a possible 30 points this season.

19:15: EC Red Bull Salzburg - HK SZ Olimpija
Referees: PALKÖVI, SMETANA, Eisl, Nothegger >> live.ice.hockey <<

EC Red Bull Salzburg - similar to the previous season - arrived in November in an intermediate low. From the last four games, only two out of twelve possible points could be collected. Last season, it was only one point from four games at the end of November. In addition, Sunday's 8-1 defeat in Klagenfurt was Salzburg's heaviest defeat in almost three years. Since entering the league in 2004, the Red Bulls have only lost six times with a difference of seven or more. In addition, the Salzburg team suffered a 4-0 defeat against the spusu Vienna Capitals. In addition to the twelve goals Salzburg conceded in the last two games - before that it took an average of six games to concede the same number of goals - the offense has also faltered. In the last four games, they have only scored a total of three goals - as many as they scored in one game before this weak phase. The Bulls have good reason to hope for improvement against HK SZ Olimpija on Friday. They have won their last five encounters against the Slovenians. Ljubljana were only able to take two points from their western road trip in Innsbruck and Feldkirch last week.



19:15: EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV - spusu Vienna Capitals
Referees: PIRAGIC, REZEK, Muzsik, Wimmler >> live.ice.hockey <<

EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV is also on a negative run. In the last three games, the Villach team has not managed a win and booked only one point against HCB Südtirol Alperia. Prior to that, the Adler had never suffered more than one defeat in a row this season. The last losing streak of this length was the quarter-final exit against the EC-KAC. The last appearance of the spusu Vienna Capitals, who celebrated a 4-0 shutout win against the reigning champions, was much more successful. This was the first shutout of the season for Sebastian Wraneschitz and the Caps. Vienna's last win by a difference of four goals (or more) was last season's game against HC TIWAG Innsbruck to advance to the semifinals. In the first season duel between these two teams, the Austrian capital celebrated a 4:3 overtime victory. Evan Weinger scored the game-winning goal back then.

7:15 p.m.: Steinbach Black Wings Linz - BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg
Referees: HLAVATY, NIKOLIC K., Beynek, Seewald >> live.ice.hockey <<

One of the biggest beneficiaries of Salzburg and Villach's weak phase are the Steinbach Black Wings Linz, who have been leading the win2day ICE Hockey League table since last Sunday - level on points with Hydro Fehérvár AV19 and EC Red Bull Salzburg. Thanks to their best goal difference (+25), the Upper Austrians currently appear to be leading the table and are now faced with defending their top position for the first time. The Black Wings put themselves in this position with two recent 4:1 victories over HC Pustertal and the spusu Vienna Capitals after the International Break. However, the Linzers were beaten by the BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg in their first encounter. The Vorarlberg team picked up four out of a possible six points after the International Break. Although they lost against the Moser Medical Graz99ers, the Pioneers then celebrated a clear victory over HK SZ Olimpija.

19:15: Moser Medical Graz99ers - Hydro Fehérvár AV19
Referees: HRONSKY, OFNER, Durmis, Riecken >> live.ice.hockey <<

Hydro Fehérvár AV19 is also represented in the top trio of the win2day ICE Hockey League after their 10:2 victory over Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey - tied on points with Steinbach Black Wings Linz and EC Red Bull Salzburg. Since the Hungarians joined the league, they have only won four games with a higher difference. Above all, the reaction of the Devils is remarkable, as they had suffered a 1:7 "pack" against the EC-KAC less than 24 hours earlier. Another unique aspect of the 10:2 win is that two AVS cracks, Joshua Atkinson and Timothy McGauley, scored a hat-trick. The Moser Medical Graz99ers came out of the international break in promising form and promptly celebrated a 2:1 overtime victory over the Pioneers - the Grazers' third win of the season. One day later the Styrians lost again against HC TIWAG Innsbruck. The first meeting of the season between Fehérvár and Graz was a clear affair for the Hungarians.

19:45: HCB Südtirol Alperia - HC TIWAG Innsbruck
Referees: BERNEKER, NIKOLIC M., Mantovani, Sparer >> live.ice.hockey <<

HCB Südtirol Alperia is still the hottest team in the win2day ICE Hockey League, even though the South Tyroleans have had a rather irregular playing rhythm. Before the International Break, the Foxes won seven games in a row. The momentum was then carried over into the encounter against EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV, in which the HCB celebrated an overtime victory. The runners-up from last season then had another week off before facing HC TIWAG Innsbruck in the Tyrolean derby on Friday and fighting for their ninth win en suite. The team from Innsbruck has been much more challenged in recent days. The Sharks were eliminated after a great fight in the round of 16 of the Champions Hockey League on Thursday against the Finnish top team Lukko Rauma after overtime. Before that, the Tyroleans celebrated a 5:2 win over the Moser Medical Graz99ers in the league. The derby is even more explosive due to the standings. Bolzano and Innsbruck are tied on points just behind the top six and are both determined to close the four-point gap as soon as possible.