Release from 27.02.2023

Pre-Playoffs kick-off Tuesday night

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Starting Tuesday, six teams will fight for the remaining three spots in the quarterfinals of the Alps Hockey League. The three pre-playoff pairings will be played in "best-of-3" mode, EK Die Zeller Eisbären, Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephn and EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel have home advantage.

Overtime rules in Postseason
Starting in the pre-playoff, if the score is tied after regular playing time, an endless overtime with sudden-death will be played. In non-decision games, the number of field players will be reduced to three players plus one goalie per team after the first complete overtime of 20 minutes. In deciding games, five-on-five shall be played until the winning goal is scored.

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Alps Hockey League | 28.02.2023 |”best-of-3” Pre-Playoffs:
Tue, 28.02.2023, 7.30 pm: EK Die Zeller Eisbären – EHC Lustenau
Referees: BULOVEC, HLAVATY, Arlic, Voican. | >> PPV-Livestream <<
EK Die Zeller Eisbären will enter the "best-of-3" series of the pre-playoffs as the top-seeded team from Qualification Round A, where they will meet EHC Lustenau in the "Austrian duel", which has qualified for the postseason in third place in Pool B. Both teams rotated a lot towards the end of the second round of Regular Season and lost some of their form, as only one of the last four games was won. In both Regular Season meetings, the road team always prevailed. Especially EHC Lustenau feels particularly comfortable in Zell am See. In the AHL, the Vorarlberg team won six of the nine games in Salzburg, the last four in a row. Zell am See and Lustenau faced each other last season in the quarterfinal series. The "Stickers" advanced at that time, still under Mike Flanagan, who only moved from Lustenau to Zell am See this season.

Tue, 28.02.2023, 8.00 pm: Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan – EC Bregenzerwald
Referees: RUETZ, VIRTA, De Zordo, Seewald J. | >> PPV-Livestream <<
The duel of the two group runners-up is Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan against EC Bregenzerwald. While Sterzing finished the intermediate round positively thanks to two bonus points from the regular season, but ended it with two defeats, the "Wälder" remained almost flawless and booked the pre-playoffs without a points cushion from the Regular Season. Only once the Vorarlberg team had to admit defeat (3-6 vs. KEC on February 18th). However, the Broncos have almost always been convincing at home recently, winning six of the last seven home games. The ECB, on the other hand, has been without defeat away from home for four games. At home, the South Tyroleans have won five of seven comparisons with the “Ländle” team so far. With 31 goals, the Broncos were the team with the most goals in the intermediate round.

Tue, 28.02.2023, 8.00 pm: EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel – SHC Fassa Falcons
Referees: LAZZERI, SCHAUER, Cristeli, Eisl. | >> PPV-Livestream <<
The third Pre-Playoff pairing is EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel and SHC Fassa Falcons. The Tyroleans won Qualification Round B in commanding fashion, went without points in only one game and were never in danger of missing the Pre-Playoffs. The Italians, on the other hand, showed up, entered the race without bonus points - and showed up with two wins in the last two games. But the Austrians are also without defeat for three games, both season comparisons went to Kitzbühel (both 6-3). The home record of the "Adler" against the "Falken" amounts to six wins from eight duels. Marco Pewal's team came back from a two-goal deficit in both of the season's encounters.

Fotocredit: Radlwimmer / EKZ