Many decisions are still open

HC Orli Znojmo is on a good way to make the Play-offs. The Czechs celebrated on Wednesday a 6:3-win at Villach in the first game after the International Break and secured the second place in the Qualification Round. Three rounds before the end of the Intermediate Round the „Red Eagles“ are now already four points ahead of a none-Play-off-spot. In the last three rounds the Czechs will face Moser Medical Graz99ers (Fri/H), Dornbirner EC (Sun/A) and HDD Olimpija Ljubljana (Tue/H). Their first opponent is now on Friday at home Moser Medical Graz99ers. At home the Czechs won so far all three games in the Qualification Round and got a score from 13:5-goals. With three points the Vice-Champion would overtake the 99ers in the ranking and overtake place one in the Qualification Round! But take attention: The last two clashes with the 99ers the „Red Eagles“ both lost.   „We are going in the right direction and obviously a win on Wednesday was important, but nothing is decided at the moment and we have to keep working hard and get a win on Friday. Graz is in the first place and in good shape, but we will play at home and our goal is to get three points“, knows Znojmo Forward Jan Lattner.

Moser Medical Graz99ers can fix from their own in Znojmo already the Play-offs! Therefore the Styrians need three points from Czech Republic! Then the 99ers would have already 22 points and their first Play-offs since 2012/13 would be reality! The last two clashed with the Czechs the Mur Citizens won, but the last win within 60 minutes at Czech Republic the 99ers celebrated on November 21st 2013 or 1.183 days ago! Then they were defeated there five times in a row, before they won at Znojmo last time end of December 2016 after Overtime. On Wednesday the 99ers were in Play-off-shape and beat HDD Olimpija Ljubljana with 5:0 after an offensive game with 50 shots! „We just think on the game at Znojmo. This is the key-game“, knows 99ers Headcoach Doug Mason.

 

Dornbirner EC is still in the race for the Play-offs! The Bulldogs got a clear 8:2-win at Fehervar AV19 in the first game after the February-break on Wednesday and made a jump forward in the ranking of the Qualification Round to place 3. The west-club is now four points behind the last Play-off-spot, with three games to go. Five games in a row the Vorarlberger got points lately, four times they even left the ice as the winner. Their good run Nikolas Petrik & Co. started end of January at Villach! Now two home-games are waiting for the Bulldogs: On Friday the west-Austrians welcome EC VSV and then on Sunday HC Orli Znojmo. In the season-clash with the blue and white Eagles the Bulldogs are back 1:4. But all games were close games and ended with just one-goal-difference. Besides Dornbirn won  the last meeting at Villach. „We bring the puck to the net and our Power Play works also. We must continue like that“, knows DEC Head Coach  Dave MacQueen. Die Bulldogs still can reach the Play-off from their own: Therefore they need three points against Villach, a win with +5 goals over Znojmo and a win with +2 goals over the Graz99ers…

EC VSV lost on Wednesday against HC Orli Znojmo 3:6 and fall down in the ranking of the Qualification Round to place 4. Now the Carinthians are already 5 points behind the last play-off-spot, with three games to go. Now the Eagles will play twice on the road at Dornbirn (Fri) and Ljubljana (Sun). At Dornbirn the Eagles must win to hold alive their little chance to make the Quarterfinals. There they Drau Citizens also fight against their bad run on the road: As the only team Villach got so far no points on the road in the Qualification Round from three games. But to Dornbirn Eric Hunter and Co. travel with good memories, there they won 2016/17 both games so far. The Eagles traveled west already on Thursday. „It will be difficult for us to make the Play-offs, we must get three wins.  Dornbirn won on Wednesday and will play with much confidence. It want be easy, but we must show a good game and we must win“, knows Headcoach Greg Holst!“

 

HDD Olimpija Ljubljana and Fehervar AV19 are out of the Play-off-race! The Slovenes have no chance to make the Quarterfinals, the Hungarians just a very little. On Friday the two clubs face at Hala Tivoli and will fight out the penultimate place. In this moment the Slovenes are at the bottom of the table with seven points, Fehervar AV19 has eight points. In the season-clash Ljubljana is leading with 3:2-wins. After the International Break both teams were defeated: The Slovenes lost at Graz 0:5, the Devils by the Bulldogs from Dornbirn at home 2:8. „Fehervar AV19 and we are big rivals, we will do everything to win this game. Our aim is now not to finish on the last place.“, reported Headcoach Bojan Zajc. The Devils from Szekesfehervar fight in Slovenia also against their bad run on the road. The Hungarians lost lately five times in a row on the road. But to Ljubljana the team of  Benoit Laporte goes with good memories. There the Devils got on January 3rd 2017 their last road-win. „We only have a slight chance, the game at Ljubljana is about our pride. Besides, we want to make our fans happy”, reported Fehervar AV19’s Head Coach Benoit Laporte.

 

EC-KAC hosts HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ on Friday. The Red Jackets, who won so far all three games in February and are the only unbeaten team this month, can fix already the home-advantage for the Quarterfinals with three points. In this moment the Carinthians are with 14 points on place 3, but just two points behind place 2, which would mean a ticket for the Champions Hockey League 2017/18. „We had problems so far against Innsbruck, but we analysed, who we have to play against them to be successful. We want to continue our good run from the last games and show a good home-game“, said forward Stefan Geier. 2016/17 so far all five clashes between Klagenfurt and Innsbruck ended with home-wins within 60 minutes.

HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ showed two faces so far in the Pick Round: At home top, on the road…! Lately the Sharks beat HCB Südtirol Alperia at home 4:2 and so the Sharks are still in the race for home-advantage for the Quarterfinals. With three rounds to go the Tyroleans miss five points for place 4. „When we can play solid defense, then we are an uncomfortable oppponent“, knows forward Hunter Bishop. But on the road Innsbruck lost lately four times and got 25 goals.

 

HCB Südtirol Alperia is already without a chance to get home-advantage for the Quarterfinals! The Italians only can get place five, therefore they must catch up five points against Innsbruck. On Friday the Foxes host Leader UPC Vienna Capitals. In February the Foxes had problems so far: The Foxes are the only team, that is still without a win this month, they even did not collect a point. Lately Alexander Egger and Company were defeated at Innsbruck 2:4. „Our game improved already. Against Vienna we must try to find to our game again and we must do the little things better. For us it is now important to get better and better game by game and to be in best shape when the Play-offs start end of next week“, reported Bozen defenseman Hannes Oberdörfer. In the season-clash with the Leader the Foxes are back with 1:4.

UPC Vienna Capitals have the home-advantage for the Play-offs already fix! The Caps won their first game after the February-Break against Linz with 1:0 and extended their lead in the Pick Round to three points. The Caps now want to defend place 1 until the end – then they would have home-advantage until a possible final, the first Pick Right, when choosing the opponent for the Quarterfinals and would be qualifed for the Champions Hockey League season 2017/18. This weekend the Caps make their last road-trip this season: On Friday the Caps play at Bozen and on Sunday at Klagenfurt. Against HCB Südtirol Alperia Jonathan Ferland and Company got 2016/17 points in all five clashes so far, four times they even won. The first clash in the Pick Round the Caps even won 5:1. But take attention: Before the February-Break Vienna lost twice in a row on the road and besides the two meetings at South Tyrol were both close games and went into Overtime „Games vs. Bozen are always difficult. The Foxes play hard. Now we must play already in Play-off-mode“, said defenseman Ryan McKiernan.

 

EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz host EC Red Bull Salzburg on Friday. The Upper Austrians showed two different faces so far in the Pick Round: At home the Linzer won so far all three games, while the lost on the road three from four games. On Tuesday the Steel Citizens lost in Vienna with 0:1. „They were better. On Friday the fans will see other Black Wings“, knows Head Coach Rob Daum. Guest at Linz is on Friday EC Red Bull Salzburg. At home the Black Wings won all three games in the Intermediate Round so far. Besides with the Champion arrives that club at Linz, which the Black Wings beat on the road. With three points Linz would overtake Salzburg in the ranking. In ths moment Linz is fourth with 14 points, Salzburg on place 2 with 16 points. New at Linz is defenseman Kyle Klubertanz.  
EC Red Bull Salzburg travels on Friday to Linz! The Upper Austrians are the only team the Champion did not beat in the Intermediate Round after seven games. Lately the Red Bulls were defeated twice against Vienna and Klagenfurt. But Salzburg is still second with 16 points and would be qualified in this moment for the Champions Hockey League 2017/18. Besides they would have the second Pick Right, when choosing the opponent for the Quarterfinals and home-advantage until a possible semi-final. In the season-clash with Linz the Red Bulls are leading 3:2, 2016/17 the Champion was also successful already at Linz. „It is an important game for us, when we want to finish atleast second after the Pick Round. It needs 100% from everybody!“, knows Forward Daniel Welser.

 

Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 8. Pick Round:
Fri, 17.02.2017: EC-KAC – HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ (19:15)
Referees: BABIC, SMETANA, Nagy, Nemeth.
Fri, 17.02.2017: EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz – EC Red Bull Salzburg (19:30, SKY live)
Referees: PIRAGIC, ZRNIC, Rakovic, Seewald.
Fri, 17.02.2017: HCB Südtirol Alperia – UPC Vienna Capitals (19:45)
Referees: BERNEKER, K. NIKOLIC, Sparer, Verworner.

 

Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 8. Qualification Round:
Fri, 17.02.2017: HC Orli Znojmo – Moser Medical Graz99ers (18:30, live bei O2 TV Sport 1)
Referees: GRUBER, LEMELIN, Kaspar, Zgonc.
Fri, 17.02.2017: HDD Olimpija Ljubljana – Fehervar AV19 (19:15)
Referees: KELLNER, TRILAR, Angerer, Ettlmayr.
Fri, 17.02.2017: Dornbirner Eishockey Club – EC VSV (19:15)
Referees: M. NIKOLIC, STOLC, Pardatscher, Schauer.