Release from 20.02.2025

Last round of the Regular Season - numerous decisions still open

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Tomorrow, Friday, the Regular Season of the win2day ICE Hockey League 2024/25 season ends with the 52nd round. An exciting evening is guaranteed, as numerous important decisions are still open. For example, it is not yet clear who will finish the regular season in first place. League leaders EC-KAC have a two-point lead over EC Red Bull Salzburg. The Red Bulls have to win at Hydro Fehérvár AV19 after regular time, while Klagenfurt must remain without points at home - only then would Salzburg overtake the KAC. At the same time, Salzburg has not yet secured its CHL ticket. Third-placed HCB Südtirol Alperia, who host bottom-placed HC TIWAG Innsbruck, need three points more than Salzburg to overtake them. The battle for the top six is no less exciting, with seventh-placed EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV needing a win after 60 minutes to have a chance of qualifying directly for the quarter-finals.

The pre-playoff pick will be made immediately after the final round. The two pairings will be announced on all ICE Hockey League channels immediately after the pick.

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EC-KAC - HC Pustertal
A point against HC Pustertal is enough for league leaders EC-KAC to finish the Regular Season in first place. The Klagenfurt team has a two-point lead over their closest rivals, EC Red Bull Salzburg. They have also won the direct duel against the Red Bulls. The KAC's current form is also promising: although they lost 2:3/OT in Linz last Sunday, they had previously celebrated six wins in a row. Pustertal are ninth in the table, two points ahead of the tenth-placed Vienna Capitals, and have only won one of their last seven games - the derby against Bolzano. However, the “Wolves” have won two of their three encounters against the KAC so far this season.

Hydro Fehérvár AV19 - EC Red Bull Salzburg
Second-placed Salzburg will play at sixth-placed Fehérvár on Friday. On Wednesday, Salzburg missed out on securing their CHL ticket early. Although they celebrated a 3:2/OT home win against Ljubljana, they still need one point. At the same time, they need three points more than the KAC on Friday to finish the Regular Season in first place. For Fehérvár, it's all about not slipping out of the top six. The Hungarians, who led the table for a long time, are now only in sixth place - two points ahead of seventh-placed Villach. The results so far this season against the Red Bulls (1:4, 1:5, 1:3) do not bode well for Friday's game against Salzburg. Fehérvár can still slip to seventh place if they fail to pick up any points against Salzburg, VSV win against Asiago in regulation time and Linz pick up at least one point against the Pioneers.

HCB Südtirol Alperia - HC TIWAG Innsbruck
Third-placed Bolzano needs a complete win against Innsbruck, while Salzburg must not score in Fehérvár - then the South Tyroleans would still secure their CHL ticket. The “Foxes” have won three of their last five games and have always been victorious against Innsbruck this season. The team at the bottom of the table from Tyrol, on the other hand, have not won any of their last ten encounters.

Steinbach Black Wings Linz - Pioneers Vorarlberg
Like Fehérvár, fifth-placed Linz are currently two points ahead of seventh-placed VSV. On the final matchday, the Upper Austrians will host Pioneers Vorarlberg, who have had no chance of finishing the Regular Season in the top 10 since last Saturday. Linz are therefore the clear favorites going into the clash, in which one point will be enough to finish the regular season in the top six. Should they fail to do so, Linz can only drop out of the top six if they remain without a point against the Pioneers and VSV pick up three points against Asiago. They celebrated two shutout victories against the Pioneers before the Vorarlberg side responded with a 2:1 home win in the last season duel.

EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey
Villach, who are seventh in the table, no longer have the early qualification for the quarter-finals in their own hands. The “Eagles”, who are two points behind the top six, must win against Asiago in regulation time. Should they fail to do so, VSV will finish the regular season in seventh place. Even a complete success could be too little if Linz and Fehérvár score. The only exception: Should Fehérvár pick up exactly one point and Linz take two or three points, Graz, which is free from play, would slip to seventh place. Explanation: Villach will lose out in any tie with the other three teams - except in a three-way tie with Fehérvár and Graz. However, if Linz as the fourth team also reaches the same number of points, VSV will again slip behind Graz. In any case, Villach are in very good form, with six wins from their last seven games. They have won all three of their matches against twelfth-placed Asiago so far this season. The Italians have been waiting for a win for a total of three games.

spusu Vienna Capitals - Olimpija Ljubljana
The 52nd round will also see a clash between Vienna and Ljubljana. The visitors from Slovenia will finish the Regular Season in eighth place. The Capitals are currently in tenth place, but can still improve to ninth if they pick up two more points than Pustertal in Klagenfurt. However, the Capitals have only won one of their last five games, while Olimpija have scored in five of their last six games and even won four of them. The Slovenians have celebrated three wins against Vienna so far this season and have won the last five encounters with the Capitals.

Graz is free from play
Fourth-placed Moser Medical Graz99ers have no game on Friday and can therefore no longer score points. The Styrians will only drop to seventh place in one constellation: If VSV pick up three points, Linz win in regulation time or after overtime/penalty shootout and Fehérvár lose after overtime or penalty shootout.

win2day ICE Hockey League:
Friday, 21.02.2025:
19:15: spusu Vienna Capitals – Olimpija Ljubljana
Referees: SIEGEL, SMETANA, Bärnthaler, Gatol-Schafranek. | >> live.ice.hockey <<

19:15: EC-KAC – HC Pustertal

Referees: OFNER. ZRNIC, Puff, Zgonc. | >> live.ice.hockey <<

19:15: EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV – Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey
Referees: NIKOLIC M., PIRAGIC, Muzsik, Vaczi. | >> live.ice.hockey & DAZN Italia <<

19:15: Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – EC Red Bull Salzburg
Referees: FICHTNER, HRONSKY, Durmis, Jedlicka. | >> live.ice.hockey <<

19:15: Steinbach Black Wings Linz – Pioneers Vorarlberg
Referees: NIKOLIC K., STERNAT, Bedynek, Zacherl. | >> live.ice.hockey <<

19:15: HCB Südtirol Alperia – HC TIWAG Innsbruck
Referees: SCHAUER, SEEWALD E., Mantovani, Pardatscher. | >> live.ice.hockey <<