Release from 06.04.2024

The final series comes to Salzburg for the first time

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The final series of the win2day ICE Hockey League continues on Sunday. After the overtime win in the opener, EC Red Bull Salzburg now has home ice advantage. The reigning champions have won their last six games against the EC-KAC in the Eisarena Salzburg. PULS24 and JOYN will broadcast all final matches live and exclusively.

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win2day ICE Hockey League | 07.04.2024 | Final 2:
Sun, 07.04.2024, 17:30: EC-KAC - EC Red Bull Salzburg
Referees: PIRAGIC, SMETANA, Mantovani, Zgonc. >> PULS 24JOYN <<
Standings in the "best-of-7" series: 1:0

The first eagerly awaited final duel between the two best Austrian teams in the win2day ICE Hockey League after the regular season was, as expected, a close game at eye level, which was characterised by strong defensive behaviour at the beginning of the series. Unsurprisingly, both teams were already the strongest defensive teams in the league in the regular season with the fewest goals conceded - 104 by the KAC and 111 by the Red Bulls. After a play-off game remained goalless after 60 minutes for only the second time in league history, the reigning champions scored in the 65th minute to decide it: Philipp Sinn found Paul Huber in the slot and he finished successfully into the far corner. Salzburg goalie Atte Tolvanen recorded his first shutout in the current playoffs with 23 saves, his third of the season.

In the past, a 1-0 series lead has usually been a very good foundation for success for the Red Bulls; of 23 "best-of-seven" series in which they won the first game, the Red Bulls ultimately prevailed in 21. Only one club has ever managed to turn a 0:1 deficit against Salzburg into a series win: EC-KAC won 4:2 in both the 2012 quarter-final and the 2017 semi-final.

The Red Jackets have faced a 1-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series 15 times in their history, but have still managed to win the series on seven occasions. Since the 2017 final against the Vienna Capitals, Klagenfurt have won the second game in each of their four series in which they lost the opening game.

The reigning champions have won their last six home games against the KAC, who have always been minimised to a maximum of one goal scored by Salzburg in the last five of them. Thomas Hundertpfund and Matt Fraser are questionable for Klagenfurt.

Photo: ©EC-KAC/Pessentheiner