Linz and Villach open playoffs with road wins

VSV makes a brilliant playoff comeback
After a three-year break, EC Panaceo VSV returned to the playoffs with a real bang. The Villach-based team won 2:1 at EC Red Bull Salzburg. Before the start of the game, Salzburg's goalie JP Lamoureux was honoured as a regular season MVP, after which he and Villach's Brandon Maxwell did not have too much to do at first. After a goalless first period, Anton Karlsson gave the Carinthians a deserved lead in the 32nd minute. It was not until the 42nd minute that the home side overcame the VSV defence for the first time, with Connor Brickley scoring the equaliser. But only 25 seconds later Chris Collins scored from a sharp angle to regain the lead. Although the Red Bulls pressed for a second goal later in the third period, Villach won for the second time in a row in Salzburg. Maxwell recorded 32 saves.



Early goal leads Vienna's way
The spusu Vienna Capitals defeated the Moser Medical Graz99ers on Wednesday with a narrow 3:2 victory, thus the Viennese started for the fourth time in a row with a victory in the playoffs. The hosts got a lightning start, Alex Wall scored after just 24 seconds - his shot from the blue line was unluckily deflected by a Graz player. It was also the 3,000th playoff goal in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga. The Caps subsequently gave away good chances for a clearer lead. Vienna had slight advantages, but the next goal was not scored until the 42nd minute: Riley Holzapfel increased in the powerplay. After Dominik Grafenthin's first of the game (48th minute) got Graz on the scoreboard, it was again the MVP from 2017 Holzapfel who restored the two-goal lead. Although Grafenthin also scored a double 69 seconds from the end, Vienna were the winners.



Linz's top line turns game around
The EC-KAC made the game over long distances, but the Liwest Black Wings Linz proved to be very efficient and conquered the series lead. After 17 minutes Dan DaSilva scored the only goal in the starting period on power play. Although Marcel Witting and Lukas Haudum turned the match in favour of the Klagenfurt side after the restart, the Linz top line Umicevic - Lebler - Schofield (before the game the trio held at 181 points) gave the action a new turn. First Schofield scored the equalizer with a man advantage, early in the third period Lebler set the score at 2:3 with his two colleagues giving the assists. With two goals Hunter Fejes (one shorthander) finally put the Linz team on the winning track - Andrew Kozek could only pull one back between these goals. Rick Schofield scored an empty netter to create a 3-6 final score with Linz winning four of the five duels of the season so far.



HCB open playoffs with eighth home win in a row
The quarterfinal opener between Bolzano and Znojmo could only be attended by 3,000 spectators due to official regulations - which were decided a few hours before the start of the game. The first goal was scored in the 19th minute. With a 5 vs. 3 advantage, the foxes won the bully, let the puck circulate and finally Marco Insam scored with a slap shot to take the lead. In his only sixth game for the South Tyroleans, Markus Poukkula scored his first goal in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga in the 27th minute and increased the score to 2-0. Znojmo defender Brandon Burlon, however, brought the Czechs back on track. It remained thrilling until the final phase, when Insam scored an empty-netter 88 seconds before the end. With their eighth home win in a row, the HCB also took the series lead.



1st quarterfinals, Erste Bank Eishockey Liga
Wed, 04.03.2020, 19:15 Uhr: EC Red Bull Salzburg – EC Panaceo VSV 1:2 (0:0, 0:1, 1:1)
Referees: PEARCE, STOLC, Bärnthaler, Seewald; 2.613 spectators
Goal Salzburg: Brickley (42.)
Goals Villach: Karlsson (32.), Collins (42.)
Score in the „best-of-seven“ quarterfinal series RBS-VSV 0:1

Wed, 04.03.2020, 19:15 Uhr: spusu Vienna Capitals – Moser Medical Graz99ers 3:2 (1:0, 0:0, 2:2)
Referees: SIEGEL, SMETANA, Nagy, Soos; 3.500 spectators
Goals Wien: Wall (1.), Holzapfel (42./PP, 52.)
Goals Graz: Grafenthin (48., 59./PP)
Score in the „best-of-seven“ quarterfinal series VIC-G99 1:0

Wed, 04.03.2020, 19:15 Uhr: EC-KAC – EHC Liwest Black Wings Linz 3:6 (0:1, 2:1, 1:4)
Referees: GRUBER, OFNER, Kontschieder, Nothegger; 4.147 spectators
Goals Klagenfurt: Witting (25.), Haudum (34.), Kozek (49.)
Goals Linz: DaSilva (17./PP), Schofield (37./PP, 57./EN), Lebler (42.), Fejes (46., 54./SH)
Score in the „best-of-seven“ quarterfinal series KAC-BWL 0:1

Wed, 04.03.2020, 19:45 Uhr: HCB Südtirol Alperia – HC Orli Znojmo 3:1 (1:0, 1:1, 1:0)
Referees: BERNEKER, NIKOLIC M., Pardatscher, Schauer; 3.000 spectators
Goals Bozen: Insam (19./PP2, 59./EN), Poukkula (27.)
Goal Znojmo: Burlon (34.)
Score in the „best-of-seven“ quarterfinal series HCB-ZNO 1:0