Release from 11.02.2021

Race for last three playoff spots starts

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The Qualification Round of the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League starts on Friday and with it the race for the remaining three quarterfinal tickets. The top three teams in the "bottom 6" qualify for the playoffs after a round robin. The Qualification Round will open with the duel between the iClinic Bratislava Capitals and EC GRAND Immo VSV, who have not yet been able to beat the league newcomers this season. Sky Sport Austria will broadcast the clash between Quali Round leaders Dornbirn and stragglers Steinbach Black Wings 1992, who only really picked up momentum at the end of the first phase. The Moser Medical Graz99ers welcome their neighbors in the standings HC TIWAG Innsbruck on Friday in the fight for important points.

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Fri, 12.02.2021 iClinic Bratislava Capitals - EC GRAND Immo VSV 18:30 hrs.
Referees: HRONSKY, SMETANA, Durmis, Gatol >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
  • The iClinic Bratislava Capitals and the EC GRAND Immos VSV open the Qualification Round 2021.
  • While Bratislava starts the Intermediate Round with six bonus points, the Eagles managed to take one point into the Qualification Round.
  • In the first phase Bratislava could win all four duels with VSV. The Eagles were only able to capture one point against the league newcomer this season.
  • The Capitals lost the last two games of the first phase, but put together a three-game winning streak before that.
  • EC VSV failed to capture any points in the last five games of the first phase.
  • With Mitchell Hults, the Capitals have the sixth most successful forward in the league (17 goals).
  • In the last meeting between these two teams, Dennis Hudec in particular was unstoppable on the Capitals' side. The forward provided two goals and an assist.
  • With Jordan Caron and captain Jamie Fraser, two key players of the Eagles make their comeback after injury.
Fri, 12.02.2021 Dornbirn Bulldogs - Steinbach Black Wings 1992 19:15 | LIVE on SKY Sport Austria
Referees: BERNEKER, PIRAGIC, Pardatscher, Sparer >> SKY SPORT AUSTRIA <<
  • SKY Sport Austria broadcasts the duel between the most successful team of the "Lower 6" and the bottom team.
  • However, the Steinbach Black Wings 1992 really got going at the end of the first phase. The Linz side won their last three games (two of them against Top 5 teams) and thus have their longest winning streak so far this season.
  • The gap to the Dornbirn Bulldogs is just eight points. They are just four points off the top-3 and thus a playoff spot.
  • The Bulldogs also won their last three games of the first phase. Two of them in overtime.
  • Dornbirn won three of the four duels with Linz in the first phase. However, the Black Wings 1992 decided the only encounter in this calendar year for themselves in.
  • With Brian Lebler, the Linz team has the most successful goal-getter of the first phase. The Linz veteran has already scored 24 goals.
Fri, 12.02.2021 Moser Medical Graz99ers - HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie 19:15
Referees: STERNAT, ZRNIC, Bärnthaler, Zgonc >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<
  • Moser Medical Graz99ers and HC TIWAG fought until the last round in long-distance duels for the higher number of bonus points. In the end, the 99ers had a narrow lead.
  • While the difference in the table of the first phase was only one point, it doubled with the start of the intermediate round.
  • Similar to what the table situation suggests, the direct duels so far this season have also been almost even. Both teams won two games each, but the Sharks took seven points from them, the Styrians only five.
  • The 99ers have strengthened their defense just before the start of the intermediate round. The 31-year-old Russian Vitali Menshikov replaces Matias Sointu.
  • The Sharks were able to win four of the last six games of Phase 1. The Styrians ended the first season stage with three defeats.