More teams on the verge of making the Playoffs

win2day ICE Hockey League | 21.02.2024 | Round 51:
Wed, 21.02.2024, 19:15: Moser Medical Graz99ers - HCB Südtirol Alperia
Referees: HRONSKY, SEEWALD E., Durmis, Konc. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
The HCB Südtirol Alperia, fourth in the table, will play at bottom-placed Moser Medical Graz99ers on Wednesday. The visitors from South Tyrol can secure a Playoff spot with a win after regulation. Two points would be enough if the game between Villach and Innsbruck is decided after 60 minutes and Pustertal takes a maximum of two points from the Pioneers. The HCB currently has a two-point lead over Innsbruck, who are seventh in the table. Bolzano will host regular-season champion EC-KAC at the end of the Regular Season on Friday. The South Tyroleans are currently not ina really good form. Although they won "Il Grande Classico" against Asiago 7:4 last Sunday, it was the fifth game in a row in which their strong defense conceded at least four goals. With a total of 125 goals conceded, HCB still has the fourth-best defense in the league. Bolzano have won just two of their last five games. Before that, they celebrated four wins in a row. Graz has not scored a point in its last nine games and has conceded three defeats against Bolzano so far this season. Overall, the 99ers have not won any of their last seven games against the "Foxes".

Wed, 21.02.2024, 19:15: EC Red Bull Salzburg - spusu Vienna Capitals
Referees: FICHTNER, SIEGEL, Bedynek, Nothegger. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
Defending champion EC Red Bull Salzburg have already secured the third place in the Regular Season, but are still fighting for the second place and thus a Champions Hockey League ticket. The Red Bulls are currently two points behind Fehérvár. The Hungarians play at Olimpija on Wednesday. Salzburg will face the spusu Vienna Capitals, who will miss out on the Postseason for the first time in 19 seasons. Last week, the Viennese team suffered two defeats, but were only narrowly beaten by the EC-KAC in front of 7,022 fans in the STEFFL Arena, which was sold out for the first time this season. Salzburg is in very good form, with four wins in a row. Last Sunday, goaltender Atte Tolvanen celebrated his first shutout of the season in a 4:0 home win against the Pioneers. Overall, the Finn has a save percentage of 91.7% (sixth place). The Red Bulls have a clearly negative record against the Capitals this season, with zero wins from three encounters. Should the Red Bulls also lose on Wednesday, the Capitals would win all of their encounters this season for the first time.

Wed, 21.02.2024, 19:15: EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV - HC TIWAG Innsbruck
Referees: SMETANA, ZRNIC, Gatol-Schafranek, Riecken. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
The absolute showdown in the battle for the Top-6 will take place in the game between the EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV and the HC TIWAG Innsbruck. Both teams have 74 points, Villach is currently in sixth place and thus has the last direct Playoff spot, followed by Innsbruck. The team that wins on Wednesday after regulation will take a big step towards the Top-6, or can even qualifiy for the quarter-finals if Pustertal does not win at the Pioneers. Innsbruck have celebrated two home victories in their three season duels against Villach so far. The first encounter in Villach, however, was a clear 5:2 win for the home side. In the last game of the Regular Season, Villach has to travel to Vienna. PULS 24 will broadcast live on Friday from 18:50. Innsbruck will host Asiago.

Wed, 21.02.2024, 19:15 h: BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg - HC Pustertal
Referees: HUBER, NIKOLIC M., Fleischmann, Martin. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
The BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg play their last game in the Regular Season on Wednesday. In tenth place in the table, they have made it into the Pre-Playoffs for the first time. From Sunday, they will fight for a place in the quarter-finals in a “best-of-3” series. The HC Pustertal also has to go to the Pre-Playoffs at the moment. With 72 points, the eighth-placed team is two points behind sixth-placed Villach. The South Tyroleans therefore need a win against the Pioneers to stay in the race for the Top-6. They have won two out of three season duels against the team from Vorarlberg this season. In their last encounter, however, they suffered a clear 3:6 home defeat. On the final matchday, the team from Bruneck will face defending champion Salzburg at home.

Wed, 21.02.2024, 19:15: Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey - Steinbach Black Wings Linz
Referees: GROZNIK, PIRAGIC, Mantovani, Zgonc. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
The Steinbach Black Wings Linz celebrated an important 2:1 home win against Villach last Sunday and thus have a very good chance of making it into the Top-6 as fifth in the table. A win after regulation at Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey would guarantee them a Playoff spot. Should BWL pick up two points, they will have to rely on the game between Villach and Innsbruck being decided after 60 minutes and Pustertal picking up a maximum of two points from the Pioneers. However, a win against the northern Italians will not be an easy task for the Black Wings, who have lost the last two duels against Asiago this season after overtime and shootout. The team in twelfth place in the table is not in good form at the moment. They have only won two of their last ten games. Last Sunday, they lost 4:7 to Bolzano in "Il Grande Classico". On the last matchday, Linz will host Olimpija, while Asiago will end the season in Innsbruck.

Wed, 21.02.2024, 19:15: HK SZ Olimpija - Hydro Fehérvár AV19
Referees: OFNER, STERNAT, Bärnthaler, Snoj. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
Hydro Fehérvár AV19 is currently second in the table and on course for the Champions Hockey League. Two rounds before the end of the Regular Season, the Hungarians have a two-point lead over Salzburg. Fehérvár plays in Graz at the end of the Regular Season, while Salzburg have to travel to Pustertal. The HK SZ Olimpija are already qualified for the Pre-Playoffs as ninth in the table, but no longer have a chance of reaching the Top-6. The Slovenians recently suffered a clear 1:8 defeat at league leader Klagenfurt, two days earlier they gained a point at home against defending champion Salzburg. Fehérvár have picked up at least one point in eight of their last ten games, even winning seven in regulation. Székesfehérvár have won two out of three season duels against Ljubljana so far.