Release from 21.12.2023

Last round before Christmas

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Six games are on the programme in the win2day ICE Hockey League on Friday. PULS 24 will be showing the road game of the spusu Vienna Capitals at HC TIWAG Innsbruck. In a clash between the only two teams to break the 100-goal mark this season, Steinbach Black Wings Linz host league leaders Hydro Fehervar AV19.

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win2day ICE Hockey League:
Fri, 22.12.2023, 19:15: Moser Medical Graz99ers - EC-KAC
Referees: RENCZ, SMETANA, Bärnthaler, Gatol-Schafranek | >> live.ice.hockey <<

Although the Graz99ers are still bottom of the table, they have shown a clear upward trend in recent weeks: Wednesday's 4:0 win in Asiago was their fifth victory in the last seven games. The EC-KAC suffered their first defeat against Salzburg on Wednesday evening after four wins in a row. Nevertheless, Klagenfurt are still in good form, having failed to pick up a point just twice in their last 17 league games. The record champions have scored in each of their last eight games away from home (five wins, three defeats after overtime or shootout), with the last defeat after regulation dating back to 15 October, when they lost 3:2 in Graz. While captain Thomas Hundertpfund returns to the lineup, the EC-KAC will be without Jan Muršak and Daniel Obersteiner.

Fri, 22.12.2023, 19:15: EC Red Bull Salzburg - HC Pustertal
Referees: HUBER, SIEGEL, Nothegger, E. Seewald | >> live.ice.hockey <<

The Red Bulls returned to second place with an overtime win in Klagenfurt on Wednesday. With HC Pustertal, a team that is fighting for the top 6 is coming to Salzburg. The South Tyroleans have lost four of their last five games and slipped to seventh place. In a statistical comparison with the team from Bruneck, the reigning champions are better in most aspects. However, the away performance of the "Wolves" is interesting, as they have won their last three road games in Klagenfurt, Feldkirch and Graz. This contrasts with Salzburg's strength at home. The Red Bulls have won eleven out of 13 games in front of their crowd. After almost ten weeks out through injury, Benjamin Nissner makes his comeback for the hosts, who have won the two duels against Pustertal so far this season.

Fri, 22.12.2023, 19:15: EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey
Referees: GROZNIK, ZRNIC, Muzsik, Vaczi | >> live.ice.hockey <<

Asiago suffered a setback in the race for the pre-playoffs on Wednesday, losing 4:0 at home to Graz. Villach will play their first game after the international break on Friday. After four defeats in their last five games, the sixth-placed "Eagles" want to get back to winning ways with their new coaching team. VSV have won five of their six previous encounters with Asiago. This season, the Carinthians have won once after overtime and once after a shootout. Andrew Desjardin has become an Asiago specialist: six games, three goals, three assists, eleven blocks.

Fri, 22.12.2023, 19:15: Steinbach Black Wings Linz - Hydro Fehérvár AV19
Referees: HRONSKY, STERNAT, Bedynek, Jedlicka | >> live.ice.hockey <<

Fehervar will visit Feldkirch on Thursday, one day later the Hungarians will face the Black Wings. The visitors are currently top of the win2day ICE Hockey League table with 59 points. Linz are five points behind in third place. This is the only two teams to break the 100-goal mark this season. There has been one win in each of their head-to-head meetings this season: While the Upper Austrians celebrated a deserved 4:1 victory in the Linz AG Eisarena, they missed out on a potential win in Hungary shortly before the end and lost 2:1.

Fri, 22.12.2023, 19:30: HC TIWAG Innsbruck - spusu Vienna Capitals
Referees: M. NIKOLIC, OFNER, Fleischmann, Wimmler | >> LIVE on PULS 24 <<

In the race for the top 6, Innsbruck celebrated an important 6:4 win in Bruneck on Wednesday. Now the team of head coach Mitch O'Keefe wants to go one better in the last game before Christmas. The match against Vienna is the first one in the TIWAG Arena with the new Jumbotron. The Capitals are a team that the Sharks have already beaten twice this season (6:3 at home, 4:1 in Vienna). The visitors are going through a tough season, are in 12th place in the table and are fighting for a place in the pre-playoffs. They have recently suffered three defeats in a row. The suspended Christof Kromp will be missing in Innsbruck.

Trophy on tour
The "Karl Nedwed Trophy" is currently making a stop in Innbruck and can be admired at the PULS 24 live game in the arena.

Fri, 22.12.2023, 19:45: HCB Südtirol Alperia - HK SZ Olimpija
Referees: BERNEKER, TRILAR, Hribar, Pardatscher | >> live.ice.hockey <<

Bolzano consolidated its top 6 position with a win in Vienna. On 22 October, the South Tyroleans started a ten-game winning streak with an overtime victory in Ljubljana, which only came to an end on 28 November in Linz. The runners-up currently have seven successes in a row at home. Ljubljana are in tenth place and the Slovenians have been particularly strong away from home so far, winning eight out of 14 road games to rank among the best away teams in the league. A Simsic goal was enough to secure a 1:0 win in their first meeting of the season in Bolzano.