KAC faces Capitals | Salzburg and Innsbruck with the chance to reach the quarterfinals

win2day ICE Hockey League | 27.01.2023:
Fri, 27.01.2023, 19:15: Moser Medical Graz99ers - HK SZ Olimpija
Referees: FICHTNER, TRILAR, Bärnthaler, Miklic. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
The HK SZ Olimpija travels to the Moser Medical Graz99ers on Friday. For both teams it is an enormously important game in the fight for the pre-playoffs. The 99ers are currently in tenth place and therefore have the last pre-playoff spot. Olimpija is on twelfth place and is already nine points behind the Top-10, but has played two games less than Graz. Both teams are currently not in form. While Graz has failed to win its last four matches, Ljubljana has been waiting for a win for six league games. In the last three games, the ICE's weakest defense conceded five goals. The 99ers have lost their last four matches away from home. At home, on the other hand, they have won all of their last three games. These were their first home victories after five home defeats in a row. Against Olimpija, the Styrians lost in two of three home games so far. This season they conceded a 2:3/SO defeat. The Slovenians were also successful in Ljubljana (5:2). The fourth duel of the season will take place on Sunday, February 5th in Ljubljana.

Fri, 27.01.2023, 19:15: EC-KAC - spusu Vienna Capitals
Referees: STERNAT, ZRNIC, Jedlicka, Konc. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
In the direct duel for the Top-6, the seventh placed EC-KAC faces the sixth placed spusu Vienna Capitals. Both teams are separated by four points. Thus, Vienna can extend its lead over Klagenfurt to seven points with a full success and even temporarily pass fLinz, which is fifth in the table and free from play on Friday. The current form is good for both teams. The KAC prevailed in the past two games after they had previously conceded four losses in a row. The Capitals were able to win two of the past three games. On Tuesday they were successful against Villach with 6:4. Forward Jeremy Gregoire scored a brace. It was the second two-point game of the forward in a row. On the side of the KAC, Rihards Bukarts has been in outstanding form in recent games. The Latvian always scored at least one point in seven of the past eight games. In the 3:2 win in Innsbruck last Sunday, the 2021 Olympian was the standout player with a brace. Against the Capitals, the 27-year-old scored in one of the three encounters so far this season. In the 5:2 home win on November 6th, the forward scored the goal to make it 5:1. The KAC also won the first duel of the season with 4:0. Only in the last encounter, on January 6th, Vienna kept the upper hand with 4:1.

Fri, 27.01.2023, 19:15: EC Red Bull Salzburg - BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg
Referees: HLAVATY, HRONSKY, Nothegger, Wimmler. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
Defending champion EC Red Red Bull Salzburg can punch the ticket for the playoffs on Friday. The second in the table must get at least one point more than the EC-KAC for the early quarterfinal participation. Against bottom of the table BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg, the Red Bulls were victorious in two of three duels this season. Overall, Salzburg won all of their past four games, while the Pioneers were victorious in two of their past five encounters. At home, RBS is an absolute power, with only four defeats from 21 home matches. RBS has won all of their past eight games in front of their home crowd. The Pioneers, on the other hand, have only been victorious in four of their 14 away games. For the Red Bulls, Ty Loney returned to the team in absolute top form. The US American, who made his season debut on January 8th after a long injury layoff, scored one point (4G / 3A) in all seven games.

Fri, 27.01.2023, 19:15: EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey
Referees: NAGY, SIEGEL, Gatol-Schafranek, Muzsik. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
For the third time this season, the EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV failed to extend the winning streak to six games after five straight victories. In Vienna, the Eagles lost with 4:6 on Tuesday. At home, however, the Carinthians still have an active winning streak of five games. Also in top form is league newcomer Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey, who have won all of their last four games. Just on Wednesday, the team from Veneto beat runner-up Fehérvár 4:0 at home and celebrated its first shutout in the ICE Hockey League. Asiago is ninth in the table, four points ahead of eleventh-placed Pustertal, but with two games less played. Both teams have faced each other twice so far this season. In both duels, the Eagles prevailed (6:4 & 5:3).

Fri, 27.01.2023, 19:15: HC TIWAG Innsbruck – Die Haie - HCB Südtirol Alperia
Referees: BERNEKER, NIKOLIC M., Martin, Pardatscher. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
League leader HCB Südtirol Alperia was the first team to fix their playoff ticket with a win last Sunday. The third in the table HC TIWAG Innsbruck – Die Haie can also make the quarterfinal entry perfect in the Tyrolean derby. If the Tyrolean team should get at least two points more than the EC-KAC, the first playoff participation since the 2017/18 season would be fixed. The Sharks, who were at the top of the table for a long time, are currently in third place. The gap to their local rivals from Bolzano is four points. After three straight defeats, HCI returned to winning ways on Tuesday with a 3:1 home victory over Linz. Bolzano, on the other hand, has won all of its last five games and has conceded just one defeat in its last twelve matches. In the direct seasonal comparison, the Foxes kept the upper hand in all three encounters. In the TIWAG Arena in Innsbruck, the game went into overtime, in which the South Tyroleans finally prevailed with 6:5 thanks to a goal of Ryan Culkin.