On Thursday is already halftime in the Intermediate Round

Three teams will fight for place 1 on Thurday. In this moment EC Red Bull Salzburg is leading in the Pick Round with 13 points. Close behind follow the teams from Vienna (12) and Linz (11). All three clubs have the chance to be on the top after the fifth Intermediate Round. Champion EC Red Bull Salzburg hosts their first persecutor UPC Vienna Capitals in the top-clash, while the Upper Austrians travel to Innsbruck. Salzburg and Vienna lost in the last two rounds once against the Black Wings. In the season-meeting with the Mozart Citizens the Caps are leading 3:1. The Red Bulls were on Fire so far in the Pick Round, scored already 16 goals, which is top, while the Caps received more goals (13), then they made (12). Just two days later the teams will face again in Vienna. „The Caps are one of the best teams, they have dominated the first part of the regular season. But we want to show, that we can beat the Capitals - now we want to do this twice within two days“, said Salzburg Forward Alexander Rauchenwald. „Always when you face the Champion from Salzburg then this is an extra-motivation. We must follow our game-plan consequently“, knows Caps-Forward Riley Holzapfel.

 

EHC Liwest Black Wings Linz also has the chance to overtook the lead on Thursday. With three points at Innsbruck and when the UPC Vienna Capitals are successful at Salzburg in Overtime then the Upper Austrians would be the number 1 after the halftime in Intermediate Round. Lately the Steel Citizens beat the Top 2 from Salzburg and Vienna. This three Austrian clubs do not only fight for place 1, also for the home-advantage and Pick Right for the Play-offs and two tickets for the Champions Hockey League 2017/18. The Top 2 after the Pick Round will play in the CHL next season. HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ is also looking to get up in the standing: The Tyroleans are in this moment with three points on place 6. But the Sharks still hope to reach the fourth place to get home-advantage for the Quarterfinals. To stay in-touch with the teams ahead the Sharks must get points in the two games against Linz this weekens, because with Bozen and Klagenfurt the two other clubs fighting for place 4 will face in the next two games also. „Linz has a really good team. We must play our best hockey“; knows Innsbrucks Headcoach Rob Pallin, who will miss Andrew Clark, Jason DeSantis and Fabio Schramm .

 

HCB Südtirol Alperia and EC-KAC will fight for place 4 and home-advantage in the Quarterfinals on Thursday at Bozen. In this moment Klagenfurt is fourth with six points and Bozen Fifth with four points. Just two days later the Record Champions from Italy and Austria will face again at Klagenfurt. The Foxes lately beat Innsbruck with 8:5 and got their first win in the Pick Round. The Carinthians on the other side lost lately twice against Innsbruck (1:3) and Salzburg (1:3), scoring just one goal per game. On the other side Klagenfurt has the best defense in the Pick Round, got just seven goals so far, HCB on the other side already 18! „We got to many easy goals, but played in the offense good. Lately we blockey many shots in the last period and celebrated  against Innsbruck our first win in the Pick Round“, reported HCB-Crack Anton Bernard. In the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga the Italians won so far eight from nine home-games against Klagenfurt, lately three times in a row. „We always had problems in Italy. Bozen is a compact team. We must follow our game plan“, knows KAC defenseman Steven Strong. Bozen leads in the season-meeting with 3:1, but all clashes were close games.

 

Dornbirner EC and HDD Olimpija Ljubljana got two wins lately and now hope to make the Play-offs again! In the next two days  the two clubs will face twice – first on Thursday at Dornbirn and less then 48 hours later at Tivoli. The Bulldogs played strong in the defense lately, beat Villach (2:1) and Fehervar AV19 (1:0 after Overtime). The Slovenes on the other side were successful at Szekesfehervar and surprised against Graz. In the season-clash the Austrians are leading 4:0, besides they won so far all 13 home-games in Erste Bank Eishockey Liga vs. HDD Olimpija Ljubljana. Both teams need the points to stay in touch with the Play-offs-spots. Dornbirn in this moment has six points, Ljubljana five points. The last Play-off-spot has HC Orli Znojmo, that has eleven points.  „Ljubljana has no pressure. They play hart and patient. We are not allowed to produce Turnovers“, knows DEC Head Coach Dave MacQueen. „We've played great last few games. Now it's off to Dornbirn. It's going to be a hard battle. They have a good team and their ring doesn't suit us. Still If we can keep on playing the way we are we can take home three points for once“, reported young Dragon Aljaz Uduc. Nik Pem left Ljubljana. The young Slovenian switched to Heilbronner Falken into the DEL/2, where Ex-Olimpija-Head Coach Fabian Dahlem and Austrian Gerhard Unterluggauer are working as the coaches.

 

Moser Medical Graz99ers host EC VSV on Thursday. The Styrians are leading in the Qualification Round with 13 points. Graz also leads in the season-clash 3:1 and won so far both home-games in the Intermediate Round. EC VSV, that started the Qualification Round on place one, lost lately three times in a row and fall out of the Play-off-spots. At Graz for the first time Rene Swette will play in the net for the Eagles. „We need the points and we will give everything to win there. But we expect a difficult game. The 99ers have shown already often this season, that they can play good hockey. I am already looking forward to my first game for Villach“; reported Swette. Just three days later the two teams will face again, then at Villach.

 

Already for the third time this season Fehervar AV19 and HC Orli Znojmo will fight for points twice within a few days! In October the Czechs were successful twice within eight days and before Christmas the Hungarians won twice within three days. Now the two clubs will meet twice within two days. First on Thursday at Szekesfehervar and then on Satuday at Znojmo. Both teams need the points in the fight for the Play-offs. The „Red Eagles“ returned on a Play-off-spot beating Villach lately. The Hungarians got points from their last three games. But after beating Villach the Devils lost latley after Shoot-out against Ljubljana and in Overtime at Dornbirn. Now Fehervar AV19 has five points from four games, Znojmo already eleven points. So if the Devils want to hold their Play-off-chances alive, then they must make points in the double against Znojmo. The two games are essential to win for Hungarians as they want to keep themselves in the run for the Play-off, knows also Benoit Laporte, the Head Coach of Fehervar AV19: “We know that Znojmo has a very good team with a lot of individual talent. With their new coach they have been very successful lately. We know that they control the puck well and like to control the game. We try to put as much pressure on them as possible to prevent easy goals.” HC Orli Znojmo scored so far the most goals in the Qualification Round (13) and received the fewest number of goals (8). „The team gets better and better. But we must continue to work. We have not reached our aim yet. Against Fehervar we must take advantage from our chances again“, knows Znojmos Head Coach Roman Simicek.

 

Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 5. Pick Round:
Thu, 02.02.2017: EC Red Bull Salzburg – UPC Vienna Capitals (19:15)
Referees: KELLNER, SMETANA, Nemeth, Verworner.
Thu, 02.02.2017: HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ – EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz (19:15)
Referees: LEMELIN, ZRNIC, Rakovic, Schauer.
Thu, 02.02.2017: HCB Südtirol Alperia – EC-KAC (19:45)
Referees: BERNEKER, M. NIKOLIC, Nothegger, Seewald.

 

Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 5. Qualification Round:
Thu, 02.02.2017: Dornbirner Eishockey Club – HDD Olimpija Ljubljana (19:15)
Referees: STOLC, TRILAR, Pardatscher, Zgonc.
Thu, 02.02.2017: Fehervar AV19 – HC Orli Znojmo (19:15, M4 live)
Referees: PIRAGIC, SIEGEL, Nagy, Soos.
Thu, 02.02.2017: Moser Medical Graz99ers – EC VSV (19:30, SKY live)
Referees: GRUBER, K. NIKOLIC, Ettlmayr, Kontschieder.