Release from 06.03.2021

Villach and Linz battle for last playoff spot

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On Sunday, the final showdown for the remaining playoff spot in the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League will take place. The EC GRAND Immo VSV and the Steinbach Black Wings 1992 will each fight on the road for one place in the postseason. Villach currently has an advantage of one point and is ranked ahead of Linz even if they are tied on points. The Upper Austrians thus need to get two more points than the Carinthians to qualify for the playoffs.

In the pick round, there is a duel for fourth place - and home advantage in the quarterfinals. Fourth-placed spusu Vienna Capitals and fifth-placed Hydro Fehervar AV19 are currently separated by one point. For a change of position, the Hungarians have to score one point more than the Viennese.

TV partner PULS 24 will show the game of EC GRAND Immo VSV at Dornbirn Bulldogs starting at 5.10 pm. Afterwards, the top three of the Pick Round will choose their opponent for the quarterfinals. Both the game and the pick are available on free TV and worldwide via free live stream.

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bet-at-home ICE Hockey League | Pick Round | Sunday, March 7th 2021:
So, 07.03.2021, 5.30 pm: EC-KAC – Hydro Fehérvár AV19
Referees: FICHTNER, STERNAT, Kontschieder, Nothegger. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<

  • For Hydro Fehérvár AV19, the last gameday of the Pick Round is about fourth place - and home advantage in the quarterfinals.
  • AVS is currently in fifth place, one point behind fourth-placed Vienna. In order to overtake the Caps, the Hungarians have to get one more point on Sunday. In the event of a points tie, AVS would have the advantage due to their better ranking in the regular season phase one.
  • For the KAC, no change in rank is possible anymore. It will finish the pick round in second place. The “Rotjacken” fixed this with a 5:4 overtime win in Vienna on Friday. This was also the fourth time Klagenfurt qualified for the Champions Hockey League. It was the fourth win from the KAC in the last five games.
  • AVS has won just one of its last five games, losing 0:7 at home to Salzburg on Friday.
  • KAC has won three of the previous five games this season. The Hungarians won the last meeting 5:3.
  • AVS is the most offensively potent team in the league with 3.38 goals per game.
  • The KAC has won 38 of the 71 games against AVS so far.
  • Niklas Würschl and Alexander Cijan, most recently in the lineup as additional forces, can expect ice time against Fehérvár AV19, with a change at the goalie position, where David Madlener will make his eleventh start of the season.

So, 07.03.2021, 5.30 pm: HCB Südtirol Alperia – spusu Vienna Capitals
Referees: OFNER, ZRNIC, Basso, Hribar. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM << | VB33

  • The spusu Vienna Capitals want to defend their fourth place at the regular season winner HCB Südtirol Alperia to start with home advantage into the quarterfinals on Friday.
  • Currently, VIC is one point ahead of fifth-placed AVS - in case of a tie, the Hungarians would have the advantage due to their better ranking in the first phase of regular season.
  • Vienna is also fighting for the end of its negative streak: In the last four games, it always had to admit defeat, twice it took a point. So on Friday at home against the KAC too.
  • The HCB - on Friday free of play - lost its last game (2:3 vs. KAC).
  • Of the five duels so far this season, Bolzano has won three.
  • VIC has won 31 of the 52 duels so far.
  • With 34,4% HCB has the best powerplay of the whole Pick Round.

bet-at-home ICE Hockey League | Qualification Round | Sonntag, 7. März 2021:
So, 07.03.2021, 5.30 pm: iClinic Bratislava Capitals – HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie
Referees: RENCZ, SIEGEL, Gatol, Kis-Kiraly. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<

  • For HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie the season ends with a road game at league newcomer iClinic Bratislava Capitals.
  • The Tyroleans still have the chance to finish the season in tenth place if they win after regulation and Graz loses outright at the same time.
  • The iClinic Bratislava Capitals took the lead in the Qualification Round standings on Friday when they earned one point in a 2:3 OT loss at Villach. For them, it is a final test for the start of the quarterfinal series on Friday.
  • HCI is still fighting for its first win of the season against the Slovaks on the last matchday: the "Sharks" have lost the previous five duels, scoring only two points.
  • BRC has two series to defend: In the last five games, the newcomer has always scored, winning its last three home games.

So, 07.03.2021, 5.30 pm: Moser Medical Graz99ers – Steinbach Black Wings 1992
Referees: PIRAGIC, SMETANA, Durmis, Seewald. | >> PPV-LIVESTREAM <<

  • On Friday, the Moser Medical Graz99ers (3:4 @HCI) had to bury their chances to qualify for the playoffs. With at least one point from Sunday's game, the Grazers defend the tenth place in the table. An improvement forward is no longer possible.
  • The Steinbach Black Wings 1992, meanwhile, still have a chance to move into the postseason after their comeback win on Friday against Dornbirn (5:3). To do that, Linz will have to outscore Villach by two points on Sunday.
  • Currently, BWI is one point behind Qualifying Round third-place VSV. If these two teams are tied on points, the "Adler" have the advantage due to their better ranking from regular season phase one.
  • Linz would be the first team to reach the playoffs starting from last place in the Qualification Round.
  • G99 owns the weakest PP (9.5%) and PK (60%) in the Intermediate Round.
  • Linz duo Brian Lebler (4G|3A) and Dragan Umicevic (2G|5A) have combined for 14 points in the last two games.
  • In the previous five games of the season, the home team has always scored, winning four. The Graz team picked up three wins over the course of 20/21.

So, 07.03.2021, 5.30 pm: Dornbirn Bulldogs – EC GRAND Immo VSV
Referees: BERNEKER, NIKOLIC K., Pardatscher, Sparer. |>> FREE PULS 24 LIVESTREAM <<

  • EC GRAND Immo VSV has the opportunity to become the eighth and thus last team to qualify for the playoffs in the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League on the last matchday at the Dornbirn Bulldogs.
  • Villach has the qualification in its own hands, clinches after each victory the postseason. In case of other results, the result from the parallel match between Graz and Linz will be important. The Upper Austrians will overtake Villach only if they pick up two more points on the last matchday.
  • Both teams have picked up three wins from their last five games.
  • VSV has won three of the five duels so far this season. Villach also has the edge in the Head-2-Head with 27:18.
  • In the duel Dornbirn (30,4% | #2) vs. Villach (32,1% | #1) the two strongest powerplay units of the Qualification Round are facing each other.
  • VSV coach Rob Daum has reached the playoffs in each of his seven seasons in the ICE (or EBEL).
  • In addition to Benjamin Lanzinger, Daniel Wachter, Patrick Bjorkstrand, Philipp Kreuzer and Christof Wappis, Renars Krastenbergs and Benedikt Wohlfahrt (both upper body injuries) are now also unavailable to the "Adlern".
  • PULS 24 will broadcast the game live from 5.10 pm. Afterwards, the quarterfinal pick will be broadcasted too. Both the game and the pick can be seen worldwide.