Quick re-union this weekend

Already for the second time within two days UPC Vienna Capitals and EC Red Bull Salzburg will face in the top-clash on Saturday. On Thursday the Red Bulls were successful at home with 4:3 after Overtime and extended their lead in the Pick Round to two points. Already on Saturday follows a re-union at Kagran. Also on the road the Red Bulls played strong lately and won the last seven road-games. Besides the team of Greg Poss is the only unbeaten club on the road in the Intermediate Round! But take attention: At Vienna Matthias Trattnig and Co. did not win since December 11th 2015 or 420 days. In front of their fans Jonathan Ferland and Co. beat the Leader lately three times in a row. Also in the Mozart City the Caps were close to defeat the Champion on Thursday, but they could not defend a 3:2-lead until the end. The UPC Vienna Capitals must win on Saturday against Salzburg within 60 minutes to overtake the lead and to spend the International Break as the Leader. „The fans can expect a top-game again. I think one goal will make the difference again. We must try to get the lead. We will be ready, Salzburg for sure also“, said Caps Headcoach Serge Aubin. „We expect strong Caps. We must show a constant game and play even more as a team.T he home-win was good for our confidence, now we want to repeat the win at Vienna.“, said Salzburg Stürmer Thomas Raffl.

 

After three wins in a row HDD Olimpija Ljubljana is back in the fight for the Play-offs. The Slovenes now miss just four points for a Playoff-spot. On Thursday the Dragons got their first ever win at Dornbirn with just 14 skaters. With this success Ales Music and Company also overtook the Bulldogs in the ranking! Already on Saturday the two teams will face again at Ljubljana. „We're expecting another hard game. On Thursday at Dornbirn we played like a team and really stuck together as one. If we play like that once more and go in to the match with the same mindset we can keep the points at home.“, siad Ziga Pesut.  Even Dornbirner EC lost at home against HDD Olimpija Ljubljana the Austrians are still in the race for the Play-offs. DEC has the same number of points (7), like the green Dragons. Lately the west-club collected points three times in a row (two wins), even the scored just five goals. This shows, that Dorbirn plays strong in the defense. In the season-clash the Austrians are still leading 4:1. To Ljubljana Ales Music and Co. travel with good memories, there they got points in their last seven games (five wins). „We are still in the race for the Play-offs and we know that. We will fight for this aim until the end and we want to bounce back quickly at Ljubljana“, said DEC-Forward James Livingston, who scored three goals in the last four games.

 

The fight for the last Play-off-spots is thrilling again. Fehervar AV19 won on Thursday at home against HC Orli Znojmo 6:2 and is now just three points away from the Play-offs. On Saturday the clubs will face already again at Znojmo. With 3 points the Hungarians would overtake place 2 in the Qualification Round for sure, at least for 24 hours…! Daniel Koger was with three goals the man of the match on Thursday. „The first line really wants to make it to the Play-off, they are our leaders and that’s what we need from these guys. They are going to learn from this, they are the motor of this team, we need this for the rest of the season and next year, too.“, was Fehervar AV19 Head Coach Benoit Laporte satisfied. The Hungarians collected points from their last four matches, winning twice. At Znojmo the Devils got so far just four wins from 14 games, but lately before Christmas. HC Orli Znojmo is still second and on a Play-off-spot even they lost at Szekesfehervar 2:6. On Saturday the Czechs now host Fehervar AV19. In front of their fans Peter Pucher and Company have won so far both games in the Intermediate Round, while the Devils lost both matches on the road, scoring just two goals. With a win the Vice-Champion from Znojmo would secure the second place in the Qualification Round. Collecting zero points the Czechs would lose their Play-off-spot for the moment.  „The main reason for the defeat was that we didn’t skate enough and we made big mistakes in the defensive zone. Our opponent used their chances very well. At home we want to bounce back “, said Znojmos Forward Justin DaCosta.

 

The fight for the Play-offs between EC VSV and Moser Medical Graz99ers goes into the 2nd round on Sunday at Villach! The Eagles lost on Thursday at Graz with 1:6, it was already the fourth defeat in a row for the Carinthians! The Eagles scored just six goals in the last 240 minutes, while receiving 18 goals. Nevertheless the Eagles are still in the race for the Play-offs, they even can fix it on their own. At the halftime of the Qualification Round EC VSV is missing just two points for a Play-off-spot. „Sunday we have to score goals“, knows Head Coach Greg Holst. The Moser Medical Graz99ers are on the best way to make the Play-offs for the first time since three seasons. At Villach the Styrians want to collect the next three points to get their aim another big step closer. In the season-clash with Villach the 99ers lead 4:1, in the year 2017 they won already twice against EC VSV. „Each win gives us more confidence. We are ready for the game at Villach“, said 99ers Coach Doug Mason. „The team has the quality to make the Playoffs“, added General Manager Bernd Vollmann.

 

EC-KAC won on Thursday at Bozen 6:3 and defended place 4. The „Red Jackets“ even got closer too the clubs ahead, miss now just four points for place 2, which would mean a ticket for the Champions Hockey League 2017/18. On Saturday the Carinthians face the Italians again, this time at home. „We expect another fight“, reported Klagenfurt’s Head Coach Mike Pellegrims. HCB Südtirol Alperia is already under pressure at Klagenfurt. If the „Foxes“ want to stay in touch with the Top 4, then they must get points from the Carinthian Capital. The Top 4 after the Pick Round have home-advantage in the Quarterfinals. In the Intermediate Round the Italians had problems so far, got just one win from five games. At Klagenfurt the Foxes also try to end their bad run on the road: In the year 2017 the Italians lost so far all six road-games, scoring just nine goals. „We must play together as a team and we must follow the game plan, then the success will return, other wise we will have problems“, knows HCB Captain Alexander Egger.

 

EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz host HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ in the Pick Rund on Saturday. On Thursday the Sharks beat the Upper Austrians at home 4:2. Now the teams will face at Linz. The situation is different this time: While the Black Wings have won their last four home-games, the Tyroleans did not win on the road lately, lost three times in a row and received 18 goals. At the Steel City the Sharks are without a win even since  December 28th 2014 or 768 days or four games. In this moment the Black Wings are third, still looking for a better position: „We focus on our strengths!“, was to hear from Linz. The Sharks on the other side are looking for place 4 and home-advantage in the Quarterfinals. In this moment the Tyroleans are fifth. „Place 4 is our aim. Now it is time to get points on the road again. Therefore we must give everting“, knows HCI-Headcoach Rob Pallin.

 

Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 6. Pick Round:
Sat, 04.02.2017: EC-KAC – HCB Südtirol Alperia (19:15)
Referees: SIEGEL, SMETANA, Angerer, Seewald.
Sat, 04.02.2017: EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz – HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ (19:15)
Referees: GRUBER, K. NIKOLIC, Ettlmayr, Sparer.
Sat, 04.02.2017: UPC Vienna Capitals – EC Red Bull Salzburg (19:30, SKY live)
Referees: PIRAGIC, TRILAR, Verworner, Zgonc.

 

Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 6. Qualification Round:
Sat, 04.02.2017: HDD Olimpija Ljubljana – Dornbirner EC (16:15)
Referees: BABIC, M. NIKOLIC, Schauer, Soos.
Sat, 04.02.2017: HC Orli Znojmo – Fehervar AV19 (17:30)
Referees: BERNEKER, STOLC, Gatol, Kaspar.
Sun, 05.02.2017: EC VSV – Moser Medical Graz99ers (17:00, ServusTV live)
Referees: KINCSES, LEMELIN, Nagy, Nothegger.