Release from 13.03.2023

Salzburg has the first match puck

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The fourth quarterfinal pairings in the win2day ICE Hockey League are scheduled for Tuesday. While EC Red Bull Salzburg has the first chance to reach the semifinals, the home teams can secure matchpucks in the other series. PULS 24 will show the Carinthian derby between EC-KAC and EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV, while the other games will be available on PPV livestream.

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win2day ICE Hockey League, 4th Quarterfinal
Tue, 14.03.2023, 19:15: Steinbach Black Wings Linz - HCB Südtirol Alperia
Referees: SIEGEL, SMETANA, Nothegger, Seewald | >> PPV-Livestream <<
Standings in the "best-of-7" series: 2:1

The Black Wings celebrated their second 2:1 win in a row on Sunday and took the lead in the series for the first time. Once again Rasmus Tirronen, who recorded 38 saves, showed a convincing performance. The Finnish netminder has been brilliant in the postseason so far and leads the goalie statistics with a .957 save percentage. The pressure is now on the side of the regular season winners, who have never lost three games in a row this campaign. In addition, the Upper Austrians have only celebrated three or more wins in a row against the South Tyroleans twice in league history. In the previous three playoff series between the two sides, it was always the team that prevailed in the end (2x BWL, 1x HCB), which was leading 2:1.

Tue, 14.03.2023, 19:15: Hydro Fehervar AV 19 - EC Red Bull Salzburg
Referees: PIRAGIC, ZRNIC, Durmis, Konc | >> PPV-Livestream <<
Standings in the "best-of-7" series: 0:3

For the third time in the series, one goal decided in favor of Salzburg on Sunday. Thanks to Peter Hochkofler, the Red Bulls prevailed this time in overtime to take a 3:0 series lead. As a result, the reigning champions are just one win away from a place in the semifinals and could celebrate their next "sweep" against the Hungarians on Tuesday. The runners-up are looking to end their now eleven-game losing streak to Salzburg and force a game five. The Red Bulls have won 15 straight playoff games including the last championship season. Lucas Thaler, who was just named Young Star of the Month for February, is Salzburg's top playoff scorer with two goals. For the Hungarians, Janos Hari, Akos Mihaly and Anze Kuralt are the top scorers with two goals each (from 5 games including pre-playoff).

Tue, 14.03.2023, 19:15: spusu Vienna Capitals - HC TIWAG Innsbruck
Referees: FICHTNER, M. NIKOLIC, Bedynek, Riecken | >> PPV-Livestream <<
Standings in the "best-of-7" series: 2:1

The 5:2 of the spusu Vienna Capitals in Innsbruck was the third away win in the series and brought the Capitals back in the lead. Radek Prokes, who put the Viennese in the lead with a brace, played a major role in the win. The Czech, who now has a total of 31 points (11 goals + 20 assists), scored three goals in the first three playoff games. With six goals, Prokes is also the best scorer in games between the Caps and the Sharks over the entire season. The Tyroleans, however, can hope to equalize again. They were the second best road team in regular season, winning also four of their last five games away from home. In the STEFFL Arena, the Innsbruck team won two out of three meetings this season.

Tue, 14.03.2023, 19:30: EC-KAC - EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV
Referees: GROZNIK, STERNAT, Bärnthaler, Hribar | >> LIVE ON PULS 24 <<
Standings in the "best-of-7" series: 2:1

Also in the Carinthian derby series, the visiting team always kept the upper hand so far. On Sunday, the KAC turned the game in its favor in the last eleven minutes and walked off the ice with a 4:3 victory. Klagenfurt has taken a 2:1 lead in "best-of-7" series 13 times so far, and in nine of those the red-white team won it, seven times 4:1 and two times 4:2. In their playoff history, the eagles have trailed 1:2 in "best-of-7" series twelve times so far, and in only one case, the 2002 semifinal against Klagenfurt, was the blue-white team able to win. The Villach side won their last two appearances at the Heidi Horten Arena. A third success would mean VSV's longest winning streak on Klagenfurt ice since 2007. Villach will have to do without the suspended goalie JP Lamoureux in the next two games. Instead, Alexander Schmidt, who recently stood out with strong performances for Kitzbühel in the Alps Hockey League, returns to Villach.