Release from 21.12.2017
On Friday is fight for points in Erste Bank Eishockey Liga at Bozen, Klagenfurt, Linz and Znojmo.
Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, round 31:
Fri, 22.12.2017: HC Orli Znojmo – EC VSV (18:30)
Referees: BABIC (HUN), TRILAR (SLO), Soos, Zgonc.
Fri, 22.12.2017: EC-KAC – Vienna Capitals (19:15)
Referees: KINCSES (HUN), PIRAGIC (CRO), Hribar, Nagy.
Fri, 22.12.2017: EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz – EC Red Bull Salzburg (19:15, SKY Sport Austria HD and Streaming SKY Ticket live)
Referees: GRUBER (AUT), K. NIKOLIC (AUT), Seewald, Verworner.
Fri, 22.12.2017: HCB Südtirol Alperia – Moser Medical Graz99ers (19:45)
Referees: LEMELIN (AUT), M. NIKOLIC (AUT), Pardatscher, Tschrepitsch.
Fri, 22.12.2017: HC Orli Znojmo – EC VSV (18:30)
Referees: BABIC (HUN), TRILAR (SLO), Soos, Zgonc.
>HC Orli Znojmo and EC VSV will have a 6-point-game on Friday at Znojmo! Both clubs are involved in the fight for a Top 6 spot and the direct Playoff Qualification. The Czechs have 39 points (13 wins) from 30 games in this moment, the Carinthians follow close behind with 37 points (twelve wins) from 30 games. Both numbers of points are not enough for the Top 6, but there are still 14 rounds to play in the first part of the regular season. On Friday the Austrians have the chance to overtake the Czechs with three points in the eagles-clash. The „Red Eagles“ on the other side could leave one opponent in the fight for a Top 6 spot (far) behind.
>Both teams had the same run (W/L/W) since their last meeting on December 10th 2017 at Villach, which the Czechs won 3:2. The Czechs beat on Tuesday Klagenfurt at home 3:1, while the Carinthians were successful against the Dornbirn Bulldogs at home 2:1.
>HC Orli Znojmo had a good run at home lately: Since November 5th 2017 the Czechs got points from all six home-games (five wins). Villach on the other side had to fight on the road lately: The Carinthians won just one from their last six road-games one week ago at Dornbirn.
>HC Orli Znojmo will start with good memories into the game: The Czechs won the last six eagle-clashes.
>The Special Teams of Villach and Znojmo – Power Play and Penalty Killing – could not convince so far.
Quotes:
Radim Matus, Forward HC Orli Znojmo: „We are in the middle of a three-game home run and we must keep getting points if we want to move up the table. Against VSV we want three points, for sure. This is our goal. We have had some games where we didn´t perform on the level we know we can. Last game against KAC gave us confidence and we believe we can be successful.!“
Lukas Herzog, goalie EC VSV: „We showed a good team-performance against Dornbirn, my team-mates blocked many shots, stopped the rebounds and we fighted until the end. Now we travel to Znojmo. To get points there, we need 100% from each player again.“
Fri, 22.12.2017: EC-KAC – Vienna Capitals (19:15)
Referees: KINCSES (HUN), PIRAGIC (CRO), Hribar, Nagy.
>A Teddy Bear Toss will take place at Klagenfurt on Friday. All the fans should bring Teddy Bears or other stuffed animals to the arena and through them on the ice after the first goal of the Red Jackets.
>With EC-KAC (3) and Leader EV Vienna Capitals (1) the two best defensive teams will face on Friday at Klagenfurt. The Caps received so far just 57 goals in 29 games and Klagenfurt just 68 goals from 30 games.
>Both clubs had problems lately and got just one victory from their last four games. Both clubs were defeated lately 1:3 and will try to get back on the winning-street on Friday. The last six meetings won Vienna. Klagenfurt had the upper hand last time on February 19th 2017 at home.
>Home-strength vs. road-power: EC-KAC got points from their last five home-games (four wins). Leader EV Vienna Capitals is also the clear number 1 on the road. The Champion collected already 32 points (ten wins) from 14 road-games. Besides the Caps got points in their last four road-games (three wins).
>Jean Philippe Lamoureux, goalie of Vienna Capitals, will make his 340th game in Erste Bank Eishockey Liga. No other goalie played so far more games in the League. In this moment the American has 339 games played, same as Gert Prohaska (EC VSV, 2003 – 2011). The highest number of wins (197) belong already to Lamoureux. Behind the US-American follow Gert Prohaska (182), Alex Westlund (179) and Mike Ouzas (169).
Quotes:
Martin Schumnig, defenseman EC-KAC: „Our last win against Vienna is already some time ago. But our last meeting showed us, that we have the chance to beat them. It needs consequence in the battles and more structure in our offensive-game.“
Andreas Nödl, Captain Vienna Capitals: "We play good defense, but we need to take better advantage from our chances. Games against Klagenfurt are always great, they are one of the best teams. We need to improve to get three points in the last game before Christmas."
Fri, 22.12.2017: EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz – EC Red Bull Salzburg (19:15, SKY Sport Austria HD and Streaming SKY Ticket live)
Referees: GRUBER (AUT), K. NIKOLIC (AUT), Seewald, Verworner.
>With EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz (2) and EC Red Bull Salzburg (4) the two best offensive teams will face each other on Friday at Linz! The Black WIngs scored already 104 goals from 30 rounds, the Red Bulls were successful even 105 times. Besides with Brian Lebler the best goalscorer of the League will be in action. The Forward made already 23 goals for Linz this season.
>EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz (PP%: 25.7) and EC Red Bull Salzburg (PP%25,3) are the two best teams in Power Play.
>EC Red Bull Salzburg is the only unbeaten team in December! The Mozart Citizens won all six games this month so far. But also the Upper Austrians had a really good run, they won six from their last seven games. Looking just at the last five games – Salzburg and Linz are the most successful clubs: The Mozart Citizens collected in this period 13 points (five wins) from five games, Linz eleven points (four wins).
>The Black Wings, who won their last four home-games (all in December), will play in special Christmas jerseys.
>The two teams always rotated with the wins in their last eight clashes. If this series continues the Red Bulls must leave Linz as the winner. The last meeting on November 30th 2017 the Black Wings won in the Mozart City..
Quotes:
Troy Ward, Headcoach EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz: „We did not allow much against Graz and stayed away from the penalty box for a long time. Now we want another three points against Salzburg.“
Greg Poss, Headcoach EC Red Bull Salzburg: „Linz has dangerous players, like Lebler or Locke, we must play very concentrated and find a way to stop them!“
Fri, 22.12.2017: HCB Südtirol Alperia – Moser Medical Graz99ers (19:45)
Referees: LEMELIN (AUT), M. NIKOLIC (AUT), Pardatscher, Tschrepitsch.
>The last Erste Bank Eishockey Liga-game before Christmas - HCB Südtirol Alperia vs. Moser Medical Graz99ers – starts on Friday 19:45 at Bozen. The first two season-meetings needed an extra-time to be decided, both times the Styrians had the better end (8:7/SO and 3:2/OT).
>Bottom club HCB Südtirol Alperia had a good run lately: The Italians won their last three matches or four from their last five games.
>The 99ers will try to end their bad road-run at Bozen on Friday, as they did already once this year. The Styrians lost their last four road-games. But take attention: Their last road win Oliver Setzinger and Co. got on November 24th 2017 with 3:2 after Overtime at Bozen. Before celebrating this success at South Tyrol the Styrians lost even five times in a row.
>In the last eight meetings there were always two wins for Bozen and then two wins for Graz and so on…. (HCB/HCB/G99/G99/HCB/HCB/G99/G99…)! If this series continues, then the Foxes must win the next two clashes with Graz. Besides the Styrians never won so far three games in a row against the Foxes.
>Christopher DeSousa (HCB/suspended) and Clemens Unterweger (G99) are the only two players, who scored at least one goal in each of the first two season-clashes.
Quotes:
Pekka Tuokkola, Goalie HCB Südtirol Alperia: „In our sitution each game is important. We need each point. We have a good run now, we feel good and we are ready for the 99ers!“
Doug Mason, Headcoach Moser Medical Graz99ers: „We must create more scoring-chances at Bozen and we must get the puck to the net more often then we did in Linz.“