Release from 06.04.2025

Record-setting Double Strike Gives Salzburg 2-0 Lead in Finals

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EC Red Bull Salzburg doubled their lead in the win2day ICE Hockey League Finals, taking a 2-0 edge in the best-of-seven series against EC-KAC. In their first home game of the series, the reigning three-time champs made another big statement, shutting out Klagenfurt 4-0 – and making league history in the process. The turning point came in the middle frame, when Peter Schneider and Lucas Thaler lit the lamp just five seconds apart – the fastest pair of goals in 25 years of ICE Finals history.

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The hosts took control early, dominating the first period in what was captain Thomas Raffl’s 200th career playoff game. Salzburg came out flying, peppered KAC’s zone with speed and pressure, and generated a clear edge in scoring chances. Klagenfurt netminder Sebastian Dahm stood tall, keeping his team in it with several key stops. But the floodgates opened in the second: At 21:56, Schneider broke in alone and buried a slick breakaway off a perfect feed from Benjamin Nissner. Off the ensuing faceoff, Thaler pounced – five seconds later, the puck was in the net again. The Red Bulls didn’t take their foot off the gas. At 33:56, Philipp Krening made it 3-0, finishing off another setup by Nissner – it was the 20-year-old forward’s first career playoff goal. Klagenfurt pushed in the final frame, but Salzburg’s defense remained rock-solid and gave up very little. The final dagger came from Tyler Lewington, who cleaned up his own rebound to seal the 4-0 victory.

With the win, Salzburg goes up 2-0 in the Finals and has a chance to earn their first match pucks for a potential fourth consecutive championship when the series shifts to Klagenfurt on Tuesday. The pressure is now fully on the Red Jackets, who face a must-win situation on home ice.

win2day ICE Hockey League | Final Game 2
Sunday, April 6, 2025:

EC Red Bull Salzburg – EC-KAC 4-0 (0-0, 3-0, 1-0)
Referees: HRONSKY, STERNAT, Durmis, Nothegger
Series standing (best-of-7): 2-0 Salzburg
Goals RBS: Schneider (22), Thaler (22), Krening (34), Lewington (48)