Interview with Juniors captain Thomas Heigl before the Elimination Game

With a 3:2 after overtime, the Red Bull Hockey Juniors celebrated their ninth home victory in a row at the start of the semifinal series. However, head coach Teemu Levijoki's team was defeated in the other two duels against Cortina at the Eisarena Salzburg, and on Saturday the otherwise strong offense failed to score for the first time since October in a 2:0 loss. "We weren't as determined and didn't finish our actions in a straight line. In the playoffs, you don't get as many chances. Cortina has adjusted its game compared to the regular season, they act much better defensively and play real playoff hockey. In addition, their goalie De Filippo is doing a great job," knows Thomas Heigl, who has already recorded 28 points in 26 games this season. In the five matches of the semifinal series so far, the German has been behind his previous point average as he currently has only two assists.

On average, the players at the Italian champions are five years older than those at the opponents from Austria. However, the Juniors captain, who is only 20 years old, does not believe that the lack of experience will make the difference. "Experience is obviously helpful at this stage of the championship, but it is not the decisive factor. We are all good hockey players who have also gained important experience during their careers. In the end, that will not be the reason for the outcome of the series."

On Tuesday (20.30, live in the stream), the Salzburg side plays away against the end of the season. Of four duels at the Stadio Olimpico, the top-seeded Juniors have won two this campaign. Just last Thursday, the guests tied the series with a 4:3 overtime win. "A lot will come down to efficiency, we'll get our chances again for sure. We have to get pucks goalwards and go on the deflection. We will be physical and want to prevent Cortina from being able to set up their game. We ourselves trust in our system, there is no reason to change anything here. Every single one of us has to give everything and we must want to win even more than in the previous game. If we also bring our playoff hockey to the ice, we have very good chances."