KAC qualifies for playoffs | Salzburg books CHL ticket

EC-KAC books playoff ticket
As announced before the game, it should have been the comeback game of Nick Petersen, who wanted to return after a lower body injury. However, the unlucky player suffered another lower body injury in the final training session and had to postpone his comeback. After balanced starting minutes, the Caps got the upper hand by an powerplay. Back in the five-on-five Mike Zalweski was right on target and netted 1-0 after a wrap-around by Ty Loney. The hosts increased the pressure and had the right answer. Manuel Ganahl equalized the score. In the second period Klagenfurt took the advantage. After 18 seconds of powerplay, Matthew Neal put the puck in the stitches. Then the KAC had to survive for four minutes shorthanded. David Madlener once again proved his reactions and held on to the lead of his team. In the middle of the third period Stefan Geier was able to celebrate his first goal of the season - after Marco Richter's pass he set the score to 3:1. The red jackets controlled the action on the ice and brought the lead in the final period over time.

Bulldogs throw Black Wings out of top 5 race
The Dornbirn Bulldogs celebrated a 4:3 OT victory over the Liwest Black Wings Linz, thus depriving the Upper Austrians of their chance to finish in the top 5, while the Bulldogs are lurking in wait for the tenth-placed Innsbruckers before the final round - the gap is now only two points. The home team from Dornbirn started the game with more pressure. After 16 minutes without a goal, the Bulldogs scored a double strike to make it 2-0, with Kevin Macierzynski opening the scoring before Emilio Romig followed suit. The tide turned in the second period. Rick Schofield equalized with two goals in powerplay within four minutes and brought his team back into the race for the top 5, Stefan Gaffal even took the lead in the third period. When almost everyone was expecting the Linz team to win, Stefan Häußle equalized 18 seconds before the supposed end. In extra time, Charles Gartner secured the extra point for the Bulldogs, who still have a chance to finish tenth in the regular season phase 1.

Salzburg fixes CHL starting place 20/21
The EC Red Bull Salzburg celebrated a 3-0 victory over Hydro Fehérvár AV 19 and is therefore the winner of the regular season phase 1. So the Salzburgers not only start the Pickround with four bonus points, but also won the first of three tickets for the Champions Hockey League. The Hungarians under neo-head coach Antti Karhula fought a hard battle in their last game of the first round. Fehérvár was biting and had good chances at the beginning. But J.P. Lamoureux once again proved to be a safe support for Salzburg and did not allow them to concede a goal in the first period. The Red Bulls succeeded in largely defusing the dangerous attacks of the Hungarians in the second period. 38 seconds before the end of the middle period, Brent Regner finally opened the scoring for the visitors. The leader of the standings did not allow himself to lose the lead in the final 20 minutes. Chad Kolarik and John Hughes finally established the final score of 3-0. For the Red Bulls, this was the 500th win in the basic round in the history of the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga.

VSV-Goalie scores at victory in Innsbruck
Still without neo-defender Luc Snuggerud, Innsbruck had to admit defeat to VSV. For the Tyroleans it was the tenth defeat in a row. Villach's Kevin Schmidt scored the only goal in a defensive third of the grid. After the restart, however, the home side turned the game in their favour, with Miha Zajc first scoring a Wachter pass and then Caleb Herbert pushing the puck in for the 2:1. Although Innsbruck was pushing for the third goal, the guests scored in the person of Captain Jamie Fraser. By the 50th minute the Tyrolean fans had the celebrations on their lips, but VSV goalkeeper Maxwell was witching against Tyler Spurgeon. The visitors then took the lead out of nowhere, Pöyhönen flicking the puck into the long corner. Innsbruck then tried everything, but another goal was not to be scored. On the contrary, VSV goalkeeper Maxwell scored the final goal with a remarkable shot to make it 2-4, giving the Villach-based side a chance to finish in the top 5, while Innsbruck can still drop back to the bottom of the table on the final day.



Znojmo with the turnaround against Graz
The Moser Medical Graz99ers missed their first chance for an early playoff qualification. After Znojmo acted very powerful in the early minutes, a duel on equal terms developed in the first period, in which both goalkeepers remained without conceding goals. In the middle period the guests took over the control. With a good forecheck Graz captured the puck and Joakim Hillding (24') scored for the lead. The lead lasted (and could have been higher) until the 47th minute, when a deflected Vopelka shot made it 1-1. The home side now had the momentum and McRae turned the game around in favour of the home side just 25 seconds later. Another double strike by the Czechs then provided the preliminary decision, Hillding's second goal for the 4:2 final score was just more result cosmetics. Znojmo thus kept the chances for the top 5 alive, but the Czechs no longer have their fate in their own hands before the away game in Bolzano. Graz, on the other hand, will be able to book their ticket for the Pick Round themselves in the final home game against Dornbirn.

Erste Bank Hockey League, 43rd round:

EC-KAC - spusu Vienna Capitals 3:1 (1:1, 2:0, 0:0)
Referees: NIKOLIC M., OFNER, Kontschieder, Seewald
Goals KAC: Ganahl (18.), Neal (24./pp1), Geier (39.)
Goals VIC: Zalewski (15.)

Hydro Fehervar AV 19 - EC Red Bull Salzburg 0:3 (0:0, 0:1, 0:2)
Referees: BALUSKA, TRILAR, Gatol, Kaspar
Goals RBS: Regner (40.), Kolarik (53.), Hughes (59.)

Dornbirn Bulldogs - EHC Liwest Black Wings Linz 4:3 OT (2:0, 0:2, 1:1)
Referees: DURCHNER, NIKOLIC K., Martin, Schauer
Goals DEC: Macierzynski (17.), Romig (20./pp1), Häußle (60.), Gartner (61.)
Goals BWL: Schofield (33./pp1, 37./pp1), Gaffal (51.)

HC Orli Znojmo - Moser Medical Graz99ers 4:2 (0:0, 0:1, 4:1)
Referees: SIEGEL, STERNAT, Bärnthaler, Nagy; 2.894 Zuschauer
Tore Znojmo: Vopelka (47.), McRae (48.), Boruta (57./SH), Flick (58.)
Tore Graz: Hillding (24., 60.)