Release from 20.01.2018
On Sunday the race for the last Pick Round spot intensifies with the competitors Medvescak Zagreb, Moser Medical Graz99ers and Dornbirn Bulldogs all being in action. The Servus Hockey Night broadcasts the top game between EC-KAC and EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz live. Plus: HC Orli Znojmo signed 24-year old American defender Cody Corbett.
Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, Round 42:
EC Red Bull Salzburg - Moser Medical Graz99ers (16:00)
Dornbirn Bulldogs - Fehervar AV 19 (17:30)
HC TWK Innsbruck 'Die Haie' - EC VSV (17:30)
KHL Medvescak Zagreb - HC Orli Znojmo (17:30, HRT live)
EC-KAC - EHC Liwest Black Wings Linz (17:45, servushockeynight.com live)
Sun, 21.01.2018: EC Red Bull Salzburg - Moser Medical Graz99ers (16:00)
Referees: KELLNER, SMETANA, Schauer, Sparer
- The Red Bulls open their weekend with today's home game against Fehervar and not even 24 hours later they host Graz
- Last week Salzburg got back on track with two wins, being third at the moment
- With three successive wins the 7th 99ers returned to the battle for the last Pick Round spot, having only a one-point deficit to 6th-placed Zagreb (one game less) anymore
- The Styrians are the league's third weakest road team with only 15 points out of 21 games - this season they lost the first away game in Salzburg after penalties, though (last win at Volksgarten was on 16.11.2012, 1:4)
- The 99ers beat Salzburg at home with Ken Ograjensek, who represents his home country Slovenia as well as Red Bull goalie Luka Gracnar at the Olympics, getting one goal and two assists in a 3:2 win
Greg Poss (Headcoach EC Red Bull Salzburg): „It's about winning games, climbing in the standings and earning extra points for the next stage. Every game is a good opportunity to become better and we want to use it.“
Absentees: Thomas Raffl and Daniel Jakubitzka
Doug Mason (Head Coach Moser Medical Graz99ers): „Every point is important and I'm very happy about the OT win in Dornbirn. We try to get the sixth place but I think we have to win all remaining games.“
Sun, 21.01.2018: Dornbirn Bulldogs - Fehervar AV 19 (17:30)
Referees: GAMPER, M. NIKOLIC, Nothegger, Verworner
- After today's match in Salzburg, fehervar AV19 moves on to Vorarlberg to play Dornbirn on Sunday
- While the 10th-placed Hungarians bowed out in the race for 6th spot with only one win out of the last five games, Dornbirn dropped to 8th place with seven defeats in their last eight games
- With 30 points out of 20 games the Bulldogs are the second weakest home team, having a 5.4 goals against average in their latest five defeats
- Fehervar has won all three season meetings with Dornbirn, winning all by only one goal
- The Hungarians always won the second period in those games 1:0 but it has not been the game winner
Dave MacQueen (Coach Dornbirn Bulldogs): „Fehervar is a big and strong physical team and they have taken eight points from us. We want to be first on the pucks and win those battles to find a way to win hockey games again.“
Hannu Järvenpää (Coach Fehervar AV19): „Every point is very important and I think our team is strong enough to get points from the road trip, but we have to show it on the ice.“
Sun, 21.01.2018: HC TWK Innsbruck 'Die Haie' - EC VSV (17:30)
Referees: BALUSKA, STOLC, Pardatscher, Seewald
- Innsbruck made the playoffs Friday with a home win against Klagenfurt
- Villach has to play in Qualification Round for sure but lately they ended their five-game losing streak with a home win against Linz
- In the previous three season meetings the road team has always won with Innsbruck getting two victories
- Innsbruck Mitch Wahl (one goal, three assists) and Ondrej Sedivy (three assists) have earned at least one point in thr previous games with Villach
- With 6.2 goals on average, the fans have seen leaguewide most goals in the 41 Innsbruck games (Villach 5.8 goals on average)
Tyler Spurgeon (HC TWK Innsbruck): „We ahve worked hard for the top six and it paid off. We have not finished yet, we want more. We must keep up the intensity and want to go one better against Villach“.
Doubtful: Andrew Yogan und Lubomir Stach
Sun, 21.01.2018: KHL Medvescak Zagreb - HC Orli Znojmo (17:30, HRT live)
Referees: GRUBER, KINCSES, Ettlmayr, Nagy
- Yesterday Zagreb conceded the third successive road defeat in Vienna, having only a one-point advantage to 7th-placed Graz
- Znojmo ended their losig streak with a 4:2 home win against Bolzano but are still bottom of the league
- It's a meeting of the league's third best home team (Zagreb) and second weakest road team (Znojmo)
- In the previous two season meetings only three goals were scored on average per game with Zagreb winning both - Czech Tomas Netik had two goals and one assists against his fellow countrymen
- Tyler Morley still leads Erste Bank Eishockey Liga scoring charts with 22 goals and 34 assists
Doug Bradley (Coach Medvescak Zagreb): „We were disappointed with the result in Vienna. It was a good game between two good teams but we did one more mistake. I want our power play to produce again.“
Tomáš Plíhal (HC Orli Znojmo): „We take lots of positive from our win against Bolzano. Now it's about starting a streak and getting bonus points as it would be very tough without them. If we continue like we have done lately, we have good chances to make the playoffs.“
US defenseman Cody Corbett joins Znojmo
Orli Znojmo have a new addition, 24-year old US defenseman Cody Corbett. He joins from Idaho Steelheads (ECHL) and will arrive in Znojmo next week. His first game is supposed to be at Bolzano on 26/01. Corbett is a former 2x WHL champion and Memorial Cup winner with Edmonton Oil Kings who spent his recent years in AHL and ECHL. "Cody is a skilled defenseman with good puck control who can contribute both in defense and offense. We want to use him both for penalty killing and also powerplays," says sports manager Rostislav Docekal.
Referees: PIRAGIC, STERNAT, Rakovic, Zgonc
- After six successive wins the run of 2nd-placed Linz ended on Friday in Villach but they have still a five-point advantage to Salzburg (one game less) and Klagenfurt
- 4th-placed Carinthians lost five of seven games in 2018 and need a win an Sunday to keep their chances for 4 bonus points alive
- This season Linz leads 2:1 against KAC - in late September they earned a 1:0 road win thanks to a late goal
- With David Fischer, Christoph Duller and Johannes Bischofberger (all +1) only three KAC players have positive +/- stats against the Upper Austrians
- Yesterday Andrew Kozek scored his first goal for Klagenfurt before facing Linz, where he palyed 3 campaigns. for the first time after his transfer
Kevin Kapstad (EC-KAC): „The Black Wings are an offensively strong team and we have to step up defensively again. But you are not looking too much at your opponent at this stage, we have to focus on our tasks.“
Absentees: Thomas Hundertpfund and Matthew Neal
Kevin Moderer (EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz): „In Villach we were not ready and had to pay the bill. You can't win a road game with this attitude, it was a lesson to us.“
Absentees: Jake Dowell and Sebastien Piche