Jesenice can pin down Master Round

Alps Hockey League | 10.12.2022 | Schedule:
Sat, 10.12.2022, 6.00 pm: HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice – HC Meran/o Pircher
Referees: BULOVEC, GIACOMOZZI F., Murnik, Pace. | >> PPV-Livestream <<
HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice on Saturday can became the first team in the Alps Hockey League to qualify for the Master Round and thus already for the 2023 playoffs. Jesenice's current lead over sixth place (Rittner Buam) is 18 points. If the Slovenians score one point more than Zell am See, Ritten and Kitzbühel, they are guaranteed a place in the top five. Against the South Tyroleans, Jesenice wants to show its home strength again. The reigning vice-champions have won all eleven home games on home ice after regulation and have conceded only eight goals so far. But the South Tyroleans have an upward form available, winning five of their last six games. Merano would further reduce the gap to fifth place with a win.

Sat, 10.12.2022, 6.30 pm: Hockey Unterland Cavaliers – EK Die Zeller Eisbären
Referees: SCHAUER, VIRTA, Bedana, Rinker. | >> PPV-Livestream <<
The duel between the Hockey Unterland Cavaliers and the EK Die Zeller Eisbären is about the connection to the top-3. The league newcomer from South Tyrol almost managed the turnaround in Cortina on Thursday, where - after an early 0-4 deficit - they only lost by a narrow margin. It was the third defeat in the last four games for Cavaliers. Zell am See, on the other hand, was match-free but is also struggling at the moment: Most recently, there were four defeats in a row, they lost the last three road games too. On the road, the "Eisbären" lack on the offensive end: 50 goals were scored in total in all home games, on foreign ice it was only half (25). In terms of personnel, EKZ Head Coach Martin Ekrt misses Fabio Artner and Philipp Mair.

Sat, 10.12.2022, 7.15 pm: Red Bull Hockey Juniors – SHC Fassa Falcons
Referees: HLAVATY, MOSCHEN, Brondi, Voican. | >> Free-Livestream <<
For the Red Bull Hockey Juniors, the regular season ends on Saturday with a home game against the SHC Fassa Falcons. After the EC-KAC Future Team, the Salzburg side is the second team to have played all 28 games of the regular season also due to the upcoming U20 World Championship. With another win, the Juniors would extend their points tally to 51 and would then have at least twelve points good to keep themselves in the top-5 in the remaining rounds. Salzburg clearly dominated the first season comparison this year with 5-1. On home ice, the Juniors have only lost once in seven home games to Fassa, which were narrowly defeated by league leader Jesenice on Thursday (1-3). The Italians are the second-weakest road team this season, picking up just six of a possible 30 points on the road so far.

Sat, 10.12.2022, 7.15 pm: Steinbach Steel Wings Linz – HC Gherdeina valgardena.it
Referees: LEHNER, WIDMANN, Moidl, Puff. | >> PPV-Livestream <<
HC Gherdeina valgardena.it has won all its duels with Steinbach Steel Wings Linz so far. Nine times the South Tyroleans won, only twice they got more than two goals against. The form of the "Furie" fits, ten of the last 15 possible points were taken. But the Linz side has done well, especially at home: for three games - against Ritten, Zell am See and Meran - the Steel Wings are without defeat. They showed improvement especially offensively: in the three wins they scored at least four goals per game, but with 1.76 they have the weakest goal average of all teams overall. Joel Brugnoli and Simon Pitschieler should be back for the South Tyroleans, and Diego Glück could also be in. For the Linz team, Black Wings Linz forward Alexander Lahoda could be back, as he was on Thursday in Salzburg.

Sat, 10.12.2022, 7.30 pm: EC Bregenzerwald – EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel
Referees: BENVEGNU, LAZZERI, Huber J., Spiegel. | >> PPV-Livestream <<
EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel has to play the next team from Vorarlberg after their clear 6-0 shutout win against Lustenau on Thursday. For the second time this season they clash with EC Bregenzerwald, the first season duel won the "Adler" with 6:5 after overtime. On the road, Kitzbühel has lost the last three games against the "Wälder", and the Tyroleans have been waiting for a win for more than two years. Currently, the ECB also presents itself very strong at home, triumphed in its last three home games all, while Kitzbühel lost five of its last six road games. Bregenzerwald's Finnish head coach Markus Juurikkala hopes for the return of Roberts Lipsbergs (7G|19A), but currently misses Felix Zipperle and Felix Vonbun in defense.

Sat, 10.12.2022, 7.30 pm: EHC Lustenau – Rittner Buam SkyAlps
Referees: LEGA, PINIE, De Zordo, Eisl. | >> PPV-Livestream <<
After the clear 0:6 defeat in Kitzbühel on Thursday, EHC Lustenau wants to get back on the winning track at home. On home ice, the Vorarlberg team has always scored in the last five games, winning two of them. The gap to the top five is ten points with seven games left to play. Only due to the worse goal differential, the Rittner Buam SkyAlps are outside the top-5. On Thursday, there was an undisturbed 5-3 home victory over the Broncos, so the former AHL champion picked up points for the third time in a row. With a win and a simultaneous loss of points by Zell am See, the Buam could move into the top-5. It is not yet clear whether EHC defenseman Mads Larsen, who was out on Thursday, will be able to play again. One factor in this encounter could be Ritten's power play strength, 28.6% scored by the former champions so far this season - league best. However, Lustenau is the third best PK team in the AHL with 86.8%.