Release from 13.01.2018
Sun, 14.01.2018: Moser Medical Graz99ers – HC Orli Znojmo (16:00 Uhr)
Referees: KELLNER, LEMELIN, Rakovic, Verworner.
- The 99ers still have the chance to qualify for the Pick-Round. Currently they are trailing by three points to the sixths place. The top-6 for Znojmo already seem to be out of reach.
- Znojmo lost eight of the past nine games, the 99ers won three out of their past four more recent games.
- Znojmo won two out of the past three duels with the 99ers. The last game was decided by Czechs in overtime.
- Znojmo already went in overtime eleven times (top number of the league.)
- The 99ers had to take the least number of penalty minutes so far (8 pim/g). With a number 11,1 pim/g Znojmo is on the lower end of the statistics.
Roman Šimíček, Headcoach Znojmo: „We have a very young team. We are currently lacking of a leader, the young guys can’t take much responsibility right now. But their time will come.”
Sun, 14.01.2018: HCB Südtirol Alperia – Vienna Capitals (17:30 Uhr)
Referees: BULOVEC (SLO), TRILAR (SLO), Pagon, Pardatscher.
- The Vienna Capitals could fix the first place in regular season (after 44 rounds) and the CHL-ticket on Sunday. But they would still need support of other teams.
- The foxes climbed the standings recently and are still in the race for the top-6. After four consecutive wins they are only trailing by four points to Zagreb on the sixths place.
- The Capitals lost three out of the past five games. Recently they lost against Salzburg with a difference of four goals. This was the highest defeat of the Caps this season.
- The HCB Südtirol Alperia is the only team in Erste Bank Eishockey Liga which couldn’t capture points against Vienna this season.
- Bozen scored four goals at least in the past four games.
Rafael Rotter, Spieler der Capitals: „It is tough to play at Bozen. They have well skilled players and their home crowd is able to push them forward. Still, we aim to capture three points.”
Absentees Capitals: Patrick Peter, Phil Lakos and Sascha Bauer are missing.
Anton Bernard, Spieler der Foxes: „We dhad a good game against Zagreb. We knew, that we have to win to stay in the race for the top-6- But still we aren’t there we want to be, we need to keep on working hard.”
Sun, 14.01.2018: EC VSV – EC Red Bull Salzburg (17:30 Uhr)
Referees: STERNAT, STOLC, Angerer, Ettlmayr.
- Salzburg has the chance to book the playoff ticket on Sunday.
- The EC VSV dropped to the elevenths place with one win in the past eight games.
- Salzburg won two out of three duels against VSV in this season.
- Salzburg couldn’t capture a road win in 2018 so far.
- The Red Bulls are the best team in powerplay with 26,4 pp%. The VSV is with 77,6% penalty-killing on the lower end of the statistics.
Greg Poss, Headcoach Salzburg: „Against Vienna everything worked out and it was great fun. It’s not easy to deliver our A-game everytime, but this is the way how we also want to play against the VSV.”
Abstentees Salzburg: Thomas Raffl and Daniel Jakubitzka are still missing. Alexander Cijan celebrates his comeback.
Sun, 14.01.2018: Fehervar AV19 – EC-KAC (17:45 Uhr)
Referees: FICHTNER, SMETANA, Gatol, Kaspar.
- The KAC is close to the qualification for the playoffs. Only three points have to be captured on this weekend (Saturday or Sunday.)
- Fehervar lost three out of the past four games.
- Klagenfurt won all three battles against Fehervar of this season.
- Fehervar is trailing by five points to the sixths place and urgently need three points to stay connected to the top-6-
- Fehervar ist he most successful team in “extra shifts.” They won six out of eight games in overtime or shoot-out.
David Madlener, Goalie des KAC: „Our most recent results were not satisfying. But still our performance was ok and there is no reason to be worried. We just need to tweak on small areas and increase our efficiency in front of the net.”
Sun, 14.01.2018: KHL Medvescak Zagreb – HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ (17:45 Uhr, HRT und www.servushockeynight.com live)
Referees: M. NIKOLIC, SIEGEL, Nothegger, Seewald.
- Innsbruck booked a five games winning streak (before the game on Saturday) and are currently on a more comfortable position in the race for the pick-round. They have an advantage of eight points to the sevenths place.
- Zagreb won six out of the past eight games, but had to take a bitter defeat against Bozen.
- The home teams won the first three duels of the season. Every single game ended 3:1.
- Zagreb is the most inefficient team in powerplay. They scored only 18 goals in numerous advantage (12,3%). But in numerous disadvantage they scored already six goals.
- Innsbruck is one of three teams with a scoring efficiency of more than 10%.
Headcoach HCI, Rob Pallin: „I told my team, that the look at the standings are not our focus right now. We can only influence our own results and if we deliver our performance the standings will develop automatically.”