Friday results:
Salzburg vs Znojmo 5-3
Fehervar vs Graz 2-6
Dornbirn vs Pustertal 0-4
Villach vs Klagenfurt 0-4
Bolzano vs Vienna 7-4
Ljubljana vs Innsbruck 2-3
Saturday results:
Dornbirn vs Vienna 2-3
Villach vs Innsbruck 3-2 SO
Sunday results:
Klagenfurt vs Pustertal 1-3
Fehervar vs Ljubljana 4-2
Znojmo vs Linz 4-1
Bolzano vs Salzburg 1-3
Standing:
1. Salzburg 1.889
2. Ljubljana 1.880
3. Fehervar 1.769, GD +18
4. Vienna 1.769, GD +7
5. Innsbruck 1.696
6. Bolzano 1.640
7. Klagenfurt 1.615
8. Villach 1.583
9. Graz 1.346
10. Znojmo 1.320
11. Pustertal 1.231
12. Dornbirn 0.960
13. Linz 0.846
Salzburg has climed to the top spot and it's been coming for some time. Since the international break they have 19 points in 8 games. Right now they are the team to beat.
The wheels are not entirely falling off in
Ljubljana, but they're trending downwards with just 11 points in 9 games since the international break. Not surprising, but they're still number 2 which is way above the expectations.
Fehervar too has had a mediocre stretch since the international break (11 points in 9 games). I think their roster has more potential to bounce back, but maybe not in December yet: their next opponents are Pustertal, Salzburg and Vienna and all three clubs are on a roll.
Vienna has climed to fourth place without much noise and ado. The roster looks underwhelming, but they've gained 18 points in 9 games since the break, which is a testament to their coaching. Can they become more consistent though or are they already overachieving? The top 5 spot might be a bit tough to hold on to over the course of the season.
Innsbruck has bounced back a bit after their long Covid break. They are doing much better than teams with deeper rosters, but one would expect their lack of depth to start hurting them at some point further down the road. A spot in the 6-10 range seems like a more realistic outcome than one within the top 5.
Bolzano has 9 points in 5 games since coach Doug Mason was sacked, which is a bit better than before. Let's see what new (and old) coach Greg Ireland can do now. The roster certainly looks worthy of the top 5.
Klagenfurt keeps being wildly inconsistent. One time they suffocate a menacing Villach roster and kill them with counters, the next time they look clueless against an underdog like Pustertal. Looks like they thrive against offensive teams due to their disciplined checking game but struggle to create much against defensive sides.
Villach was trending upwards, but is not consistently showing good balance between attack and defense. Their firepower is impressive and a top 5 spot is still not out of reach, but they need to be more focused and disciplined.
Graz has improved with 15 points in 9 games since the international break and has overtaken Znojmo.
Znojmo is struggling with just 10 points in the last 9 games. If they don't step up they will drop out of the preplayoff ranks very soon.
Pustertal is on a roll: they have 20 points in their last 10 games and they're bound to overtake Znojmo and Graz too if they keep it up.
Dornbirn's misery just goes on and on and if they don't make moves very soon it might be too late to turn the season around. The team is in a funk and needs some kind of change.
Linz on the other hand has already made a move (coaching changes), but it didn't have a lasting impact yet. They situation seems very bleak.
Recent moves:
After not coming to terms with Bolzano in the offseason, Greg Ireland finally returns:
Znojmo parts ways with Hunter Fejes and sign Tor Immo instead:
Vienna Capitals add depth to their roster:
Additionally,
Graz and
Fehervar have signed new goaltenders.
