Six teams will prolong their (winning) streaks

Win2day ICE Hockey League | 20.10.2023 | Schedule:
Fr, 20.10.2023, 7.15 pm: Moser Medical Graz99ers – EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV
Referees: FICHTNER, NAGY, Seewald J., Wimmer. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
The Moser Medical Graz99ers got their first win of the season on Sunday against EC-KAC (3-2). On Friday, the Styrians welcome the second Carinthian ICE club, the EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV in the "Bunker" – and travel with three wins in a row. Especially offensively, the "Adler" have been convincing during their winning streak, scoring five or more goals each. With 3.8 goals per game, the third-ranked side is the best offensive team in the win2day ICE Hockey League at all. In VSV's last outing in Graz, Head Coach Rob Daum's squad also excelled in the opposition's D-zone, scoring eight goals. Villach has won seven of its last ten away games in Styria. Gustav Bouramman could return to the Graz lineup, but Dominik Grafenthin, Patrik Kittinger and Graig Schira will be absent.

Robert Sabolic is back in the lineup for Villach, and Niklas Wetzl is also returning to the team after his illness and two games with cooperation partner Kitzbühel. It is still questionable whether Andrew Desjardins will be able to play. The convalescents Anthony Luciani, Marco Richter and Rene Swette will continue to be absent. With 23 points from eleven games, the “Adler” had their best start to the season since the 13/14 season.

Fr, 20.10.2023, 7.15 pm: EC-KAC – HK SZ Olimpija
Referees: GROZNIK, OFNER, Seewald E., Snoj. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
The EC-KAC has won each of its five home games this season. On Friday, however, HK SZ Olimpija, the best road team in the win2day ICE Hockey League so far, will try to put an end to that streak. The "Dragons" have won five of their six gameson opponent's ice so far - of the four past confrontations in Klagenfurt, they took only four of twelve possible points. On home ice, the “Rotjacken” have been particularly convincing on the offensive so far, their average of 5.00 goals scored per home game is not matched or even surpassed by any other team in the league.

Due to an injury suffered in the road game in Graz last Sunday, Luka Gomboc will be out for several weeks at the EC-KAC, the Slovenian forward had only returned to action seven days earlier. Instead, Fabian Hochegger, who had to miss since the end of September due to injury, will make his comeback against HK Olimpija Ljubljana. Against the Dragons, defender Jesper Jensen Aabo will also be back after his suspension, making only his second appearance of the season. The Red Jackets will be without Maximilian Preiml, Raphael Herburger and Daniel Obersteiner (all injured) and Sebastian Dahm (injured).

Fr, 20.10.2023, 7.15 pm: EC Red Bull Salzburg – Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey
Referees: NIKOLIC K., TRILAR, Eisl, Zgonc. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
EC Red Bull Salzburg has scored in every game so far, with the defending champions recently winning five ICE games in a row, but losing in the two Champions Hockey League games in between. The heart of the Salzburg team is their defense: 2.1 goals conceded per game is best in the league. With 89.4% (#2), the eight-time title holder also practices strong penalty killing. In general, Salzburg's "special teams" can be relied upon; with 30.77%, Peter Schneider & Co lead the power play statistics. In the four duels of the past season, the "Red Bulls" prevailed four times. Florian Baltram, who will play his 400th league game on Friday, scored in three of the four confrontations. Salzburg have set a new season start record with 26 points from the first ten games and without defeat after regulation. Previously, the club record dated to the 19/20 season, when the Red Bulls with Head Coach Matt McIlvane took 22 points with eight wins after nine rounds.

Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey has recently suffered two consecutive defeats, remained scoreless for the fourth time this season in the 0-5 loss to Ljubljana. On average, the "Stellati" scored only 1.45 times per game.

Fr, 20.10.2023, 7.15 pm: HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie – spusu Vienna Capitals
Referees: PIRAGIC, RENCZ, Muzsik, Nothegger. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
The spusu Vienna Capitals will go on their second road trip of the season this weekend: First, the two-time ICE champions will play HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie and want to put an end to their current six-game losing streak. In the end, up to eight players missing were partly responsible for the existing losing streak, but also the lack of efficiency in front of the net: In the last five games, only six goals were scored. In three of these games, the "Caps" were leading, against the EC-KAC (2-5) even with two goals. Armin Preiser and Leon Wallner should return to the line-up.

The duel of these two teams is also a remake of last year's quarterfinal pairing, which the Viennese won 4-2. The team around captain Mario Fischer won all four road games.

Innsbruck, which plays another home game on Saturday, did not play a league game last weekend, but was recently challenged in the Champions Hockey League, as in the European top division, the "Haie" qualified as the only team of the win2day ICE Hockey League for the "Round of 16" (there they will meet Lukko Rauma from Finland). This year, the Tyrolean team is acting strongly while shorthanded, playing the best PK (89.66%) in the league. Innsbruck's goalie Evan Buitenhuis is one of only two goalies (Lars Volden of Graz) who has played all of his club's ICE games so far. In ten games, he had a GAA of 2.07 and a save percantage of 93.6%.

Fr, 20.10.2023, 7.30 pm: BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg – Hydro Fehérvar AV19
Referees: MOSCHEN, SMETANA, Gatol-Schafranek, Martin. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
Like Vienna, Hydro Fehérvár AV19 also has a road trip scheduled this weekend, as the Hungarians start it on Friday evening at BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg. Against the team from Vorarlberg, the runner-up of 2022 picked up ten of twelve points in the past season, losing only in the last meeting (2-3 OT). Fehérvár has recently won six of seven games and is in fourth place in the table, just three points behind leaders Salzburg.

The BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg, after a strong start to the season (five wins from the first eight games), have lost some form recently. They lost their last three games, also because Dylan Stanley's team takes the most penalties of all teams (17.3 PIM). Patrick Spannring is missing this time due to suspension. Defender Olli Vanttaja is still missing for the Vorarlberg team due to injury.

Fr, 20.10.2023, 7.45 pm: HCB Südtirol Alperia – Steinbach Black Wings Linz
Referees: REZEK, ZRNIC, Fleischmann, Pardatscher. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
The Sparkasse Arena in Bolzano will see a quarterfinal remake too: HCB Südtirol Alperia will meet Steinbach Black Wings Linz. In the past season, the "Foxes" prevailed in the seventh game. This year, the engine of last year's vice-champion is still sputtering, only three of the eleven games were won and also in the Champions Hockey League no victory was achieved. The team's management recently reacted to this by signing Canadian forward Tyler Sikura, who could miss Friday's game due to injury, after making his debut in the CHL. Luca Frigo could be out too.

Meanwhile, the Upper Austrians are showing good form: In the last eight games, the team of Head Coach Philipp Lukas has always gained at least one point, winning six of them. However, the Black Wings have always struggled at the Palaonda, with only one of their last eleven games ending in success. In terms of personnel, the Steinbach Black Wings will probably be able to play without any changes.

Win2day ICE Hockey League | 21.10.2023 | Schedule:
Sa, 21.10.2023, 5.30 pm: HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie – Hydro Fehérvár AV19
Referees: HRONSKY, SMETANA, Gatol-Schafranek, Jedlicka. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
Back-to-back HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie and Hydro Fehérvár AV19 meet each other on Saturday. For the two teams it is the second confrontation in this season: On September 30th the Hungarians won 3:-0 at home, were physically superior in the end, also because the "Haie" competed in Graz one day before. Both home games in the past season were won by the Innsbruck team.

Sa, 21.10.2023, 7.45 pm: HC Pustertal Wölfe – spusu Vienna Capitals
Referees: NIKOLIC M., RENCZ, Manotvani, Muzsik. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
After Friday's game in Innsbruck, the spusu Vienna Capitals head to Bruneck on Saturday for their second duel of the season with HC Pustertal Wölfe. The South Tyroleans won the first confrontation a week ago in the Austrian capital with 3-1. At home, the current second in the table still suffered a defeat in each of its four games against Vienna, losing four times after regulation with a goal difference of 5:21. For the "Wolves" it is the first home game in 20 days or four away games in a row.