The last fight for the best positions starts again!

In the Pick Round the UPC Vienna Capitals welcome EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz on Tuesday. With three points Jonathan Ferland and Co. would defend place 1 for sure and would fix already the home-advantage for the Quarterfinals. At home the Caps lately celebrated clear wins over HCB Südtirol Alperia (5:1) and Champion EC Red Bull Salzburg (4:2). Besides the Caps added Austrian Nikolaus Hartl to their roster. The forward played already from 2013 to 2016 in Vienna and started this season with the Straubing Tigers in DEL. The Black Wings on the other side can overtook the Caps in the ranking with three points, if this is also enough for place 1 depends on the result of the game EC Red Bull Salzburg against the EC-KAC. The Upper Austrians won the last meeting with the Leader shortly before the International Break 5:3. But the six road-games in the year 2017 so far were an up and down for them, lately the lost at Innsbruck. Last season Vienna won their first game after the February-break, while the Steel Citizens lost on the road.

 

Champion EC Red Bull Salzburg welcomes EC-KAC on Tuesday. The Red Bulls fight together with UPC Vienna Capitals and EHC LIWEST Black wings Linz for place 1. Therefore the Mozart Citizens need a home-win over the Red Jackets and then it depends on the result of the other top-clash. On the other side Klagenfurt has the chance to overtake the Red Bulls with three points! The Carinthians are the only unbeaten Erste Bank Eishockey Liga-team in February, the Red Jackets won before the International Break twice against Bozen. Even the Red Bulls had so far in four from five season-clashes the better end, all matches were close games –  three games even went into an Overtime or even in a Shoot Out. Just two weeks ago the Mozart Citizens won at Klagenfurt 3:1.  „Play-offs are coming closer. We expect a hart fight for 60 minutes“, reported Salzburg Forward Raphael Herburger.  In the last season the Red Bulls stayed without points in their first game after the February-Break, while the Carinthians could win on the road. „For us still everything is possible in the last four rounds. In this moment we are Fourth. But we want to climb in the ranking. We must be focussed and do our job.“, knows KAC-defenseman Christoph Duller.

 

HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ and HCB Südtirol Alperia fight on Tuesday in the Tyrolean Derby at Innsbruck for their last chance to get home-advantage for the Quarterfinals. The Sharks are already six points behind place 4, the Shark even eight points, with four games to go. So far in this season in all five Tyrolean Derbys the home-teams were successful and already 51 goals were scored, in average 10,2 goals per game!  While the North Tyroleans before the International Break was successful at home twice, the South Tyroleans are still waiting for their first road-win in the year 2017 after seven games. During the International Break Andrew Yogan returned from the Cincinnati Cyclones to Bozen and with the Canadian Lindsay Sparky arrived another new Forward, while Glen Metropolit and Denny Kearney left Italy. Last year Innsbruck won their first game after the February-Break, while the Foxes stayed without points on the road. „For both clubs it is an important game. We expect an intense games of two neighbours in the standing. We see the game as a new-start shortly before the Play-offs“, reported Bozen defenseman Daniel Glira. Innsbruck has Andrew Clark, John Lammers, Jason DeSantis and Fabio Schramm back after injuries. „We are complete again. This is a really good sign. We also practiced well lately and we have our speed back“, is Sharks defenseman Lubomir Stach optimistic for the next weeks.

 

EC VSV and HC Orli Znojmo will fight for a Play-off-spot on Wednesday at Villach. In this moment the Czechs are with 14 points second in the Qualification Round, the Carinthians third with twelve points. The best team are the Moser Medical Graz99ers with 16 points. Just the Top 2 still make it into the Play-offs, four games are still to play for each club. In the season-meeting the Austrians are leading with 3:2. At home the Carinthians beat the „Red Eagles“ lately four times in a row. „It needs the same performance like before the break against Graz. In the last days we preparted and precticed well. We expect a difficult game vs. Znojmo, but everybody is  ready to give everything and so we want to keep this important points at home", reported VSV-Goalie Lukas Herzog. The Czechs, who did not miss a Play-off in Erste Bank Eishockey Liga so far, did not have much success at Villach lately. Last time the Vice-Champion was successful in the Drau City was on February 22th 2015 or 722 days ago. Last season Villach and Znojmo won their first game after the February Break. „We need to focus on simple things. Play smart, play hard, skate a lot and take our chances when they come. I think you can see that our game has improved over recent weeks, so we just need to continue in this trend and fight for each game.“, knows Znojmo Forward Teddy DaCosta.

 

Last week the MerkurArena in Graz hosted the national teams from Austria, Slovakia, Norway and France, with the Austrians winning the Österreich Cup. Now on Wednesday the Moser Medical Graz99ers and HDD Olimpija Ljubljana will fight there for important points in the Qualification Round again. The Styrians won so far all three home-games in the Intermediate Round and got a score from 14:4-goals. But take attention: The first meeting between this two teams in the Qualification Round was won by the Slovenes at home with 4:1. So far even all five season-clashes ended with home-wins. While the Styrins could secure a Play-off-spot with three points on Wednesday, the green Dragons fight for their last chance to get in the Playoffs. Last time the Slovenes won at Graz was on October 2nd 2015 or 500 days ago. Since that day the Mur Citizens four times in a row had the better end, in the last three games at Graz Sebastian Dahm and Company even celebrated Shut-out-home-wins over Olimpija - 5:0, 4:0 and 1:0 /SO. In this moment the 99ers lead in the Qualification Round with 16 points, Ljubjana is Sixth with seven points. Last season both clubs lost their first game after the February Break. „The International break came at the right time for us for some much needed regeneration. We‘re proud that four of our youngsters, Mark Cepon, Kristjan Cepon, Aljaz Uduc and Miha Zajc were called to the national team and a part of winning a tournament in Poland. Now it's back to business. Graz is a favorite going into the game. They have a good and experienced team. Still we're going to Graz looking for the win. We have a positive score with them this year. Also we still have some chances to make the top two even though it's not up just to us. But that won't be the most important thing on our minds. We're going in the last four rounds game by game and we'll see what happens“, reported Olimpija-Headcoach Bojan Zajc, who was guest at the game EC VSV vs. Moser Medical Graz99ers before the International Break.

 

An important week starts for Fehervar AV19 and Dornbirner EC on Wednesday at Szekesfehervar. Both teams need the win to hold alive their chances to reach the Play-offs. In this moments the Bulldogs are Fourth with ten points, the Hungarians Fifth with eight points. For the last Play-off-spot the zwo clubs miss already four or six points. In the season-clash the Austrians are leading with 3:2. The Vorarlberger won the last three clashes without receiving a goal (2:0, 4:0, 1:0/OT)! Also before the International Break the „Vorarlberger“ had a good run, got points four times in a row – three games they even won! The Hungarians on the other side got points from their last three home-games (two wins). "The game is very important for both teams.  The team that loses is out of playoffs, and all players know that's Dornbirn has played good recently and that is why we need our best hockey against them", knows Fehervar AV19 Headcoach Benoit Laporte. Last season the Devils lost their first game after the International Break at home, while the Bulldogs got three points. „We are still in the race for the Play-offs. The next games can come“, said DEC-Headcoach Dave MacQueen.

 

Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 7. Pick Round:
Tue, 14.02.2017: UPC Vienna Capitals – EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz (19:15)
Referees: SMETANA, TRILAR, Nothegger, Rakovic.
Tue, 14.02.2017: HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ – HCB Südtirol Alperia (19:15)
Referees: M. NIKOLIC, STOLC, Pardatscher, Schauer.
Tue, 14.02.2017: EC Red Bull Salzburg – EC-KAC (19:15)
Referees: LEMELIN, K. NIKOLIC, Kontschieder, Verworner.

 

Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 7. Qualification Round:
Wed, 15.02.2017: Moser Medical Graz99ers – HDD Olimpija Ljubljana (19:15)
Referees: GRUBER, PIRAGIC, Nagy, Soos.
Wed, 15.02.2017: Fehervar AV19 – Dornbirner Eishockey Club (19:15)
Referees: SMETANA, ZRNIC, Kaspar, Nemeth.
Wed, 15.02.2017: EC VSV – HC Orli Znojmo (19:30, SKY live)
Referees: LEMELIN, TRILAR, Seewald, Zgonc.