ICE Hockey League 2021-2022 (Salzburg wins championship)

[Theokritos]

Friday games:

Dornbirn vs Linz 2-3 SO
The two worst teams this season by far, but Dornbirn deserved to be rated higher and they indeed were in control of this game and had a 2-0 lead until 5 minutes before the end. Then they gave up two goals against in a short time, which allowed Linz to tie the game. The away team proceeded to win the SO. A terrible and perhaps final blow for the morale of Dornbirn. It's hard to see them recover now. It's a little puzzling that their coach is allowed to just continue as if everything was alright.

Innsbruck vs Salzburg 3-1
Great performance by Innsbruck who really seem to find back to their pre-Covid break form. It's not often that Salzburg gets outskated and outshot, but here it did happen. An 18-game (!) point streak comes to an end.

Bolzano vs Pustertal 2-3 OT
The South Tyrolean derby. Bolzano created pressure, went ahead 2-0 and had more of the game. But in the last 5 minutes Pustertal rallied and managed to tie the game. Then they added the winning goal early in overtime. Not a convincing win by Pustertal, but they earned important points in the pre-playoff race and another win against their regional rival. A bitter defeat for Bolzano emotionally, but not one that should actually hurt their campaign.

Ljubljana vs Vienna 5-4 SO
Covid cases reduced Vienna to three lines. Ljubljana went ahead 1-0 in the first period and made it 3-1 in the second. In the hard-fought third period, Vienna rallied to turn the score into a 4-4. Great working effort by Vienna, even if they were a bit lucky to actually get the tie. Ljubljana won the SO.

Saturday game:

Bolzano vs Linz 4-1
No surprise here. Bolzano were in charge and cruised to a 3-0 lead. When Linz finally got a goal torwards the end of the game, Bolzano replied with the 4-1 two minutes later.

Standing:

1. Salzburg 2.00
2. Bolzano 1.722
3. Klagenfurt 1.686
4. Fehervar 1.667
5. Ljubljana 1.618
6. Villach 1.594
7. Vienna 1.583
8. Graz 1.514
9. Znojmo 1.485
10. Innsbruck 1.457
11. Pustertal 1.429
12. Dornbirn 0.944
13. Linz 0.861

Games today:

Dornbirn vs Graz
16:00 CET = 10:00 EST
Does Dornbirn have anything left in the tank after losing against Linz? It's doubtful. With Ljubljana in decline and Vienna dropping points, Graz is eager to make a push for the top 6 and will not be satisfied with anything but 3 points here.
Stream: https://live.ice.hockey/watch/game/h4czxpvw31rkxokd3at

Salzburg vs Klagenfurt
16:30 CET = 10:30 EST
Salzburg's point streak and winning streak are over and Klagenfurt are hard to score against and have gained quite some ground in the standing. Still, the home team should be favoured, but a low-scoring game is in the cards.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Pustertal vs Innsbruck
18:00 CET = 12:00 EST
An important head-to-head encounter in the pre-playoff race. If either team gets a straight win and the other ends up with 0 points, it could be crucial.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

 

[Theokritos]

One of the many games cancelled/postponed due to Covid lately was Vienna vs Villach, scheduled for Sunday, January 23. But while the other games were cancelled by the league, in this case Vienna declared themselves "unfit to play" unilaterally. It didn't go over well: the league did not accept it and the game has been verified with 5-0 for Villach. Vienna is trying to fight that decision.

Games on Sunday:

Dornbirn vs Graz 2-1
A surprise win for Dornbirn and a wasted chance for Graz. They started well and went ahead 1-0, but dropped the ball in the second period. Dornbirn played better than on many other occasions this season and scored two goals in the second period to take a 2-1 lead. In the third Graz attacked again, but Dornbirn got good goaltending from new goalie Linus Lundin.

Salzburg vs Klagenfurt 3-0
A rather close battle, but Salzburg had the edge and scored one goal each period. Klagenfurt had their chances, but the home team got good goaltending from Jean-Philippe Lamoureux.

Pustertal vs Innsbruck 3-2
Innsbruck had a weak start and conceded an early 0-2 deficit. Afterwards they took over, outplayed Pustertal and managed to tie the game. But instead of scoring another, they got scored on a third and decisive time late in the game. Not a great performance by Pustertal, but 3 very valuable points for them.

Games on Tuesday:

Dornbirn vs Innsbruck 2-5
Inconsistent effort by both teams. Each had their stretches of looking flat and their stretches of creating pressure. Individual mistakes by Dornbirn sealed the game and perhaps Innsbruck – still fighting for the pre-playoff spot – showed more urgency over the 60 minutes.

Pustertal vs Linz 3-1
Linz showed up and made it a close game. Pustertal – again – didn't play well but still ended up winning.

Klagenfurt vs Villach 6-0
Villach were rusty after a long Covid break (their last game was 3 weeks ago), but that doesn't excuse the repeated lack of effort in a game against their traditional rival. KAC played well, but not that good. After four games Villach are now 5-22 against Klagenfurt this season. Shocking.

 

[Theokritos]

Catch-up:

Game last Wednesday:
Fehervar vs Znojmo 7-1

Games on Friday:
Klagenfurt vs Dornbirn 1-2
Fehervar vs Bolzano 3-1
Linz vs Znojmo 0-3
Graz vs Innsbruck 2-3
Villach vs Salzburg 2-4
Pustertal vs Ljubljana 0-3

Game on Saturday:
Graz vs Innsbruck 3-2

Game on Sunday:
Znojmo vs Bolzano 5-2
Fehervar vs Klagenfurt 2-1 SO
Linz vs Villach 5-7
Dornbirn vs Salzburg 3-2 SO

Standing:

1. Salzburg 2.206
2. Fehervar 1.750
3. Ljubljana 1.657
4. Bolzano 1.632
5. Klagenfurt 1.615
6. Villach 1.583
7. Vienna 1.541
8. Znojmo 1.528
9. Graz 1.475
10. Pustetal 1.474
11. Innsbruck 1.462
12. Dornbirn 1.050
13. Linz 0.795

Roster moves:

-Five players from the league will be away for the 2022 Olympics: Forwards Renārs Krastenbergs (Villach/Latvia) and Nicolai Meyer (Vienna/Denmark), defencemen Andris Džeriņš (Linz/Latvia) and Emil Kristensen (Pustertal/Denmark) and goaltender Sebastian Dahm (Klagenfurt/Denmark). Pustertal have signed Vili Laitine from Rauman Lukko to replace Kristensen while the other clubs have not signed replacements.
-Villach has parted ways with Joel Broda. His new club: Kassel (DEL 2).

Games today:

Salzburg vs Znojmo
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Stream: EC Red Bull Salzburg

Vienna vs Klagenfurt
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Stream: Live Stream - Vienna Capitals

Dornbirn vs Linz
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Innsbruck vs Pustertal
19:15 EST = 13:15 EST
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Bolzano vs Graz
19:45 EST = 13:45 EST
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Ljubljana vs Villach
19:45 EST = 13:45 EST
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

 

[Theokritos]

Tuesday games:

Salzburg vs Znojmo 3-1
Vienna vs KAC 2-3 SO
Dornbirn vs Linz 0-3
Innsbruck vs Pustertal 6-3
Bolzano vs Graz 5-2
Ljubljana vs Villach 2-4

Wednesday game:

Villach vs Znojmo 6-2

Thursday game:

Ljubljana vs Fehervar 1-4

Games today:

Free stream:​

Vienna vs Innsbruck
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
An important game for both teams, but there is a little more pressure on Vienna who have to play without their most creative forward Nicolai Meyer.
Stream: Sport - IceHL: Ice Hockey League | PULS 24

Pay streams:

Znojmo vs Dornbirn
18:30 CET = 12:30 EST
A must-win game for Znojmo who have dropped to 9th and whose top-10 spot is far from secure.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Graz vs Linz
19:15 EST = 13:15 EST
Likewise, a must-win game for Graz who have dropped to 10th again. Pustertal is on their heels.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Pustertal vs Klagenfurt
19:45 CET = 13:45 EST
Pustertal has looked underhwelming lately and need to step up if they want to make the pre-playoffs.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

No stream:​

Fehervar vs Ljubljana
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Back-to-back games between the two teams in two different locations! Fehervar has won the away game at Ljubljana and is on a winning streak. Ljubljana is fighting to stay within the top 6, something that seemed almost assured earlier in the season.

 

[Theokritos]

Games on Friday:

Vienna vs Innsbruck 5-3
Znojmo vs Dornbirn 7-4
Graz vs Linz 4-1
Fehervar vs Ljubljana 4-1
Pustertal vs Klagenfurt 4-2

Games on Saturday:

Znojmo vs Innsbruck 3-2
Villach vs Dornbirn 5-0

Games on Sunday:

Salzburg vs Vienna 3-2 OT
Villach vs Fehervar 5-3
Linz vs Klagenfurt 2-5
Pustertal vs Graz 3-0

Game on Monday:

Znojmo vs Fehervar 5-2

The winners here are Znojmo (3 wins in regulation within 4 days, 9 points!) and Pustertal (6 points) as well as Villach (6 points). Meanwhile Innsbruck got no points out of two games and has fallen behind. They're under pressure now, but so is Graz. Ljubljana has dropped out of the top 6 and it seems more likely that they will end up behind Pustertal too than that they will manage to overtake both Znojmo and Vienna again. I don't mention Dornbirn and Linz because at this point they're expected to be miserable and their season is over all but on paper.

Standing:

1. Salzburg 2.049
2. Villach 1.725 (GD +26)
3. Fehervar 1.725 (GD +20)
4. Bolzano 1.667
5. Klagenfurt 1.619
6. Znojmo 1.561
7. Vienna 1.550
8. Ljubljana 1.526
9. Pustertal 1.512
10. Graz 1.442
11. Innsbruck 1.429
12. Dornbirn 0.977
13. Linz 0.810

 

[Theokritos]

Games on Tuesday:

Klagenfurt vs Linz 4-1
KAC were in energy-saving mode and didn't show too much, but it was more than enough to beat a Linz side that was subpar once again. The away team couldn't get anything going the first two periods. Klagenfurt went ahead 1-0 in the first, then added two more goals in the second period and put the outcome beyond doubt. But an alarming sign for them: they needed more than 20 minutes with the man advantage to finally get a PP goal (4-0, third period). Linz only got two PP opportunities all game and used one to make it 4-1 late in the game.

Vienna vs Salzburg 3-2
Another committed and strong performance by Vienna in a close match. They had the better of the game, but Salzburg got great goaltending from Jean-Philippe Lamoureux and in turn they used their chances efficiently. Score after two periods: 2-0 Salzburg. In the last period, however, Vienna finally capitalized on their good work and turned the game around with three unanswered goals within 8 minutes. The win puts them back in the top 6 and I would be surprised if they weren't able to hold on to that spot and secure direct qualification for the playoffs.

Game on Wednesday:

Innsbruck vs Villach 3-6
Villach outplayed Innsbruck all game. The home team struggled a lot in their own end and showed surprisingly little urgency and intensity for a team under big pressure. Villach went ahead 1-0 early, but a soft goal given up by their goaltender allowed Innsbruck to tie the game. In the second period, the home team surprised VSV with two quick goals, one of which was a weak one again. Suddenly Villach was down 1-3 when they really should have been up something like 3-1... Innsbruck rode the high for a few minutes and had a few good attacks, but Villach got the better of the game again and made it 3-2 before the second period was over. In the third, their domination led to two more goals. Trailing 3-4 now, Innsbruck pulled the goaltender, but conceded two empty-net goals. The score would have been more one-sided if Innsbruck didn't get solid goaltending.

Standing:

1. Salzburg 2.00
2. Villach 1.756
3. Fehervar 1.725
4. Bolzano 1.667
5. Klagenfurt 1.651
6. Vienna 1.585
7. Znojmo 1.561
8. Ljubljana 1.526
9. Pustertal 1.512
10. Graz 1.442
11. Innsbruck 1.395
12. Dornbirn 0.977
13. Linz 0.791

Games today:

Innsbruck vs Villach
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Payback time? Innsbruck will have to improve a lot in their own zone if they don't want to be suffer another defeat like yesterday or a worse one.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Graz vs Fehervar
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
The first of two back-to-back encounters between the two teams. Graz could use some points to increase their lead on Innsbruck, but Fehervar is a tall order for them.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

 

[Theokritos]

News: Linz has now announced that head coach Raimo Summanen – hired back in November – has been released from his contract at his own request.

 

[Urbanskog]

So since the start of November Olimpija have played 24 games, managing to get just 23 points (0.96 PPG). Prior to that they had earned an impressive 35 points in 14 games (2.5 PPG). What a total collapse it has been for them, but then again this is more what was expected from this roster than the early season.

 

[Theokritos]

Games yesterday:

Innsbruck vs Villach 2-4
Villach was the better team again, was in control for two periods and cruised to a 3-0 lead. In the last period they took the foot off the gas, which allowed Innsbruck to make it 3-2. But when Villach switched to a more active game again, they scored the 4-2 and put an end to the hopes of the home team.

Graz vs Fehervar 3-1
Fehervar startet well, but Graz got into their groove as the game went on. Both teams had their chances, but it was Graz that were more efficient. They went ahead 1-0 in the first period and added two more goals in the second. In the third Fehervar put on the pressure and Graz took penalties, but the visitors still ended up with just one goal.

Games today:

Free stream:​

Graz vs Fehervar
19:30 CET = 13:30 EST
Stream: Sport - IceHL: Ice Hockey League | PULS 24

Pay streams:​

Vienna vs Linz
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Stream: Live Stream - Vienna Capitals

Pustertal vs Znojmo
19:45 CET = 13:45 EST
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Meanwhile HC Bolzano has declared itself unfit to play today (vs Klagenfurt) and on Sunday (vs Fehervar) due to Covid cases. The league, however, doesn't agree that Bolzano has too few players to compete and has awarded Klagenfurt and Fehervar 5-0 wins since Bolzano won't play.

 

[jaco]

Meanwhile HC Bolzano has declared itself unfit to play today (vs Klagenfurt) and on Sunday (vs Fehervar) due to Covid cases. The league, however, doesn't agree that Bolzano has too few players to compete and has awarded Klagenfurt and Fehervar 5-0 wins since Bolzano won't play.

That's a very strange decision, since Bolzano declared that they have only 11 players who are fit to play.... This will not end here, I guess

 

[Theokritos]

That's a very strange decision, since Bolzano declared that they have only 11 players who are fit to play...

I don't doubt they only have 11 players who are fit to play, but the question is whose fault that is. The official roster submitted by HC Bolzano to the league includes several players that are fit to play but effectively unavailable to Bolzano now because they're engaged in the AlpsHL with their home clubs Merano, Gherdëina and Fassa. From the point of view of the league, Bolzano should not have named players that they don't actually have access to when they need them respectively HC Bolzano should have made sure in their agreements with those AlpsHL clubs that the players are made available when they're needed.

Hopefully this issue will at least lead to a clarification of the league regulations concerning roster players.

 

[Theokritos]

Games on Friday:

Vienna vs Linz 6-3
Graz vs Fehervar 4-1
Pustertal vs Znojmo 6-1

Games on Sunday:

Salzburg vs Ljubljana 2-3
Klagenfurt vs Pustertal 4-5
Znojmo vs Villach 3-4

Standings:

1. Salzburg 1.953
2. Villach 1.814
3. Fehevar 1.674
4. Klagenfurt 1.644
5. Vienna 1.619
6. Bolzano 1.585
7. Pustertal 1.581
8. Ljubljana 1.564
9. Graz 1.511
10. Znojmo 1.488
11. Innsbruck 1.364
12. Dornbirn 0.977
13. Linz 0.733

Games today:

Graz vs Vienna
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Villach vs Pustertal
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Linz vs Znojmo
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Innsbruck vs Bolzano
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Ljubljana vs Klagenfurt
19:45 CET = 13:45 EST
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Dornbirn vs Salzburg has been postponed.

 

[Theokritos]

Games yesterday:

Graz vs Vienna 0-2
Another good game by Graz who had the better for two periods and created enough scoring chances to win, but just couldn't get on the scoreboard. Vienna held on and made it 1-0 in the third period, which sealed the game. An empty-net goal produced the final result which cements Vienna's place in the top 6.

Linz vs Znojmo 1-3
Znojmo created more offensively, which was not a surprise, but Linz kept it close until the end. Znojmo went ahead 2-1 early in the second period, but couldn't score another goal until Linz pulled the goalie at the end of the third period. The away team got the 3 points they were looking to get in this game.

Innsbruck vs Bolzano 4-3 OT
An error-prone Innsbruck against a rusty Bolzano in a game in which both teams urgently needed to get points. Neither team will be happy with their respective performance and the point sharing. Innsbruck are still outside of the pre-playoff ranks and – with the two games forfeited – Bolzano find themselves outside of the top 6 now.

Ljubljana vs Klagenfurt 1-0
Another weak performance by Klagenfurt. Ljubljana were their usual hard-working selves and it got them 3 very valuable points that put them back in the top 6. What an incredibly tight race it is: Klagenfurt, Ljubljana, Pustertal and Bolzano are all within 0.038 points/game of each other.

Meanwhile Villach vs Pustertal had to be postponed because heavy snowfalls yesterday led to blocked roads and prevented HC Pustertal from travelling to Villach in time.

Standings:

1. Salzburg 1.953
2. Villach 1.814
3. Fehevar 1.674
4. Vienna 1.651
5. Klagenfurt 1.609
6. Ljubljana 1.600
7. Pustertal 1.581
8. Bolzano 1.571
9. Znojmo 1.523
10. Graz 1.478
11. Innsbruck 1.378
12. Dornbirn 0.977
13. Linz 0.733

Games today:

Villach vs Pustertal
18:30 CET = 12:30 EST
The game that was supposed to be played yesterday. Villach have been on a tear (winning streak: 8 games) and could still catch Salzburg, but Pustertal (winning streak: 4 games) are no push-overs and should feel more urge than VSV to deliver as they could still make the top 6, which would be a great success.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Bolzano vs Salzburg
19:45 CET = 13:45 EST
The home team didn't look convincing against Innsbruck yesterday, but desperately needs points now. Salzburg, despite not having been at their best lately, is not the opponent one would hope to face in Bolzano's situation.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

 

[Dueling Banjos]

Getting Music, Cimzar & Zajc back is huge for Oli, 2 centers, Music experienced pk, Zajc strong in 1 on 1 battles.

The bench just got longer again and that is crucial for Ljubljana and their wave after wave battle plan.

 

[Theokritos]

Games on Wednesday:
Villach vs Pustertal 2-6
Bolzano vs Salzburg 0-3

Game on Thursday:
Ljubljana vs Pustertal 2-4

Games on Friday:
Znojmo vs Pustertal 3-4 SO
Klagenfurt vs Fehervar 0-7
Salzburg vs Linz 7-1

Meanwhile Dornbirn has declared itself "unfit to play" but the league says they should have enough players to compete. As was the case with Vienna and Bolzano, the games Dornbirn has cancelled were declared forfeited:

Vienna vs Dornbirn 5-0 (was supposed to be played on Friday)
Linz vs Dornbirn 5-0 (was supposed to be played yesterday)

Standings:
1. Salzburg 2.000
2. Villach 1.773
3. Fehervar 1.705
4. Vienna 1.682
5. Pustertal 1.652
6. Klagenfurt 1.574
7. Ljubljana 1.561
8. Bolzano 1.535
9. Znojmo 1.511
10. Graz 1.478
11. Innsbruck 1.378
12. Dornbirn 0.933
13. Linz 0.787

Games today:

Free stream:​

Innsbruck vs Graz
17:30 CET = 11:30 EST
A do-or-die game for Innsbruck. They need to win (and most likely in regulation time) to stay in the pre-playoff race. For Graz, on the other hand, a win would go a long way to secure their top-10 spot.
Stream: Sport - IceHL: Ice Hockey League | PULS 24

Pay streams:​

Fehervar vs Salzburg
17:30 CET = 11:30 EST
Two of the top teams in the league, both go into the match with high-scoring wins (Salzburg: 7-1 vs Linz, Fehervar: 7-0 vs Klagenfurt). Could be a sneak preview on the playoffs, maybe even the semifinals or finals.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Bolzano vs Klagenfurt
18:00 CET = 12:00 EST
Bolzano is still hoping that the two forfeited games will be overturned on their appeal, but if that doesn't go through they will need points here to get back into the top 6. Meanwhile, Klagenfurt is under pressure too after dropping to 6th and getting humiliated by Fehervar (0-7 at home!).
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Ljubljana vs Znojmo
18:00 CET = 12:00 EST
The home team is fighting to get back into the top 6. Considering how Klagenfurt has performed lately, Ljubljana could very well overtake them.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Villach vs Vienna has been postponed due to Covid cases among Villach players. Or, perhaps, rather cancelled than postponed because the regular season will end as planned and games that can't be played now will not be played later either.

 

[Theokritos]

Games on Sunday:

Innsbruck vs Graz 2-1
Graz had the better of the game, but Innsbruck went ahead 2-0 in the first period on a PP goal and a gift by the otherwise solid Graz goaltender Engstrand. The visitors finally scored a goal of their own in the second period, but couldn't get another one despite being the better team. Innsbruck got the three points they needed to keep a slim pre-playoff chance alive.

Fehervar vs Salzburg 3-2
A fast-paced and close game in which both teams had their good share of scoring chances. Score after the first period: 1-1. After the second period: 2-2. The difference was that Fehervar got four PP opportunities (vs one for Salzburg) and scored two goals on them to turn a 1-2 into a 3-2. Impressive win by Fehervar who were reduced to three lines.

Bolzano vs Klagenfurt 3-2
Another underwhelming game by Klagenfurt. The home team outplayed them in the opening minutes and went ahead 2-0 quickly. Klagenfurt got better afterwards, but the score remained unchanged well into the third period. Then KAC scored two quick goals to tie the game, but Bolzano came right back with the third and decisive goal. A tough loss for Klagenfurt who have now dropped out of the top 6.

Ljubljana vs Znojmo 0-8
A complete breakdown by Ljubljana and one of those performances Znojmo is capable of. With the score being 4-0 after the first period, the outcome was not much in doubt, although it's never a given that Znojmo don't concede any goals at all.

Standings:

1. Salzburg 1.957
2. Villach 1.773
3. Fehervar 1.733
4. Vienna 1.682
5. Pustertal 1.652
6. Bolzano 1.568
7. Znojmo 1.543
8. Klagenfurt 1.542
9. Ljubljana 1.524
10. Graz 1.447
11. Innsbruck 1.413
12. Dornbirn 0.933
13. Linz 0.787

Games today:

Vienna vs Salzburg
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Another sneak preview on the playoffs is to be expected in this encounter.
No stream.

Graz vs Bolzano
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Both teams have looked decent but not great lately and both teams need points.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Klagenfurt vs Znojmo
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
The home team wants to get back into the top 6, but hasn't played a convincing game in quite some time. Meanwhile Znojmo just showed itself from the best side at Ljubljana.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Fehervar vs Innsbruck
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Innsbruck desperately needs points and Fehervar is certainly not a team they would like to face in this situation. The home team is down to three lines, but the visitors will not ice more than that either. Anything but a win for Fehervar would be a surprise.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Dornbirn vs Ljubljana
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Ljubljana need both points and to redeem themselves after the disastrous 0-8 against Znojmo. A demoralized Dornbirn site might be the perfect opponent for them now.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Pustertal vs Villach
19:45 CET = 13:45 EST
Two of the top teams of the last weeks. The last encounter one week ago was won 6-2 by Pustertal, so Villach have something to prove, but a loss wouldn't hurt them all that much either.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

 

[Theokritos]

Games yesterday:

Vienna vs Salzburg 3-5
Strong performance by Salzburg against a Vienna squad that didn't show itself from its best side. The away team cruised to a 3-0 lead, which already predetermined the outcome. Vienna made it a little closer before the second period was over (score: 4-2), but in the last period Salzburg added a fifth goal and Vienna could only get one more themselves. Salzburg could have won higher if they didn't spend 16 minutes shorthanded (vs 6 shorthanded minutes by Vienna), but the win secures that they finish 1st in the regular sason and that they will play in the Champions Hockey League next season.

Graz vs Bolzano 4-1
The home team had a good first period and went ahead 1-0. Afterwards Bolzano took over and showed themselves as the better team, but didn't score in the second period while Graz added a PP goal to make it 2-0. Early in the third period, Bolzano finally scored, but their superiority didn't translate into more goals. Late in the game Graz made it 3-1 and in the end they added an empty-net goal. A bitter loss for Bolzano and 3 very important points for Graz in the race for the pre-playoffs.

Klagenfurt vs Znojmo 0-1 SO
A better showing by Klagenfurt than in the previous games. The return of Nick Petersen was a real boost and added a lot to their offensive game, but he hit the post three times and his team remained scoreless... as did Znojmo! Not sure what's more remarkable, Znojmo not scoring a goal or Znojmo not conceding a goal. After 60 scoreless minutes, the away team won on SO and got 2 very valuable points.

Fehervar vs Innsbruck 4-2
The home team went ahead early and the game didn't get better for the defensively vulnerable Innsbruck side. After 25 minutes, the score was 4-0 for Fehervar and the outcome clear. Two goals in the last period weren't enough for the away team whose chances to make the pre-playoffs are almost dead now. Fehervar, on the other hand, have secured their top 6 spot for good with this win.

Dornbirn vs Ljubljana 2-4
Ljubljana needed three points and a moral boost and they got it. Dornbirn didn't show much for the first two periods. Ljubljana outplayed them and got a deserved 4-0 lead. A shorthanded goal late in the second period and another goal in the third made the result a little more flattering for Dornbirn.

Pustertal vs Villach 4-6
A close and entertaining game in which Pusterstal had the better start but ran out of steam later in the game. They got a 2-1 lead in the first period, but 40 minutes the game was tied 3-3. In the last period Villach got themselves a 5-4 lead before adding an empty-net goal to make it 6-4. Neither team will be entirely happy with their defensive performances.

Standings:

1. Salzburg 1.979 (#1 secured)
2. Villach 1.800 (top-6 secured)
3. Fehervar 1.761 (top-6 secured)
4. Vienna 1.644
5. Pustertal 1.617
6. Ljubljana 1.558
7. Znojmo 1.553 (GD +18)
8. Bolzano 1.553 (GD -17)
9. Klagenfurt 1.531
10. Graz 1.479
11. Innsbruck 1.383
12. Dornbirn 0.913
13. Linz 0.787

Roster moves:

Villach have parted way with goaltender Anton Bernard who has had a disappointing season. Their new goalie is Tomi Karhunen. Bernard, in turn, was signed by his previous club Bolzano who subsequently release Kevin Boyle – which seems like a gamble, considering the season Bernard has had.

The major deadline trade this season: Linz goalgetter Brian Lebler will spend the rest of the season with Salzburg, which makes them the clear favourite to win the title.

 

[filip85]

Team Croatia Selects will play in ICE Junior (U18) league this season.

And tomorrow they have chance to close out the QF series against KAC (last season champions) at home. They won first game in Klagenfurt 3:1.

For those interested stream will be on official croatian federation YT channel

Players to watch : #9 Završki Fran (fw)
#25 Alić Tin (D)
#23 Filipović Borna (D)

My prediction : KAC wins tomorrow and on Wednesday to reach semis.

 

[Theokritos]

Games on Friday:

Graz vs Znojmo was cancelled due to Covid cases, as was Graz vs Klagenfurt (scheduled for Sunday). Which is good for Graz because it means their P/G cannot get worse anymore and Innsbruck will not be able to catch them anymore. Thus Graz secures their top-10 spot while Innsbruck is confirmed to be out after the regular season. Other consequence: Klagenfurt cannot reach the top 6 anymore.

Salzburg vs Innsbruck 5-4
Linz vs Fehervar 3-6
Dornbirn vs Villach 4-6
Pustertal vs Vienna 2-5
Ljubljana vs Bolzano 3-2

Standings:

1. Salzburg 2.000
2. Villach 1.826
3. Fehervar 1.787
4. Vienna 1.638 (top-6 secured)
5. Ljubljana 1.622 (top-6 secured)
6. Pusteral 1.583
7. Znojmo 1.553
8. Klagenfurt 1.531
9. Bolzano 1.500
10. Graz 1.479
11. Innsbruck 1.354
12. Dornbirn 0.894
13. Linz 0.771

Games today (last round of the regular season):

Free stream:​

Vienna vs Ljubljana
17:30 CET = 11:30 EST
Both teams managed to book their playoff spots with a win on Friday, so there is nothing at stake here.
Stream: Sport - IceHL: Ice Hockey League | PULS 24

Pay stream:​

Villach vs Salzburg
17:30 CET = 11:30 EST
A preview on the playoffs or a low-intensity affair in which one of the teams or both try to preserve enegery?
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Fehervar vs Dornbirn
17:30 CET = 11:30 EST
Should amount to a training unit for the home team.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Znojmo vs Pustertal
17:30 CET = 11:30 EST
The only really important game today. A head-to-head match for sixth place, which secures playoff qualification. Znojmo needs three points to overtake Pustertal.
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

Innsbruck vs Linz
17:30 CET = 11:30 EST
Last game of the season for both teams. Rosters will be without several regulars who are already being loaned to other clubs (foreign or domestic/Alps HL).
Stream: ICE Hockey League TV

 

[Theokritos]

Final matchday of the regular season:

Vienna vs Ljubljana 4-0
Villach vs Salzburg 3-2
Fehervar vs Dornbirn 3-4
Znojmo vs Pustertal 2-3 OT
Innsbruck vs Linz 4-3

With a 2-2 after 60 minutes against Znojmo, Pustertal secured their top-6 spot:

1. Salzburg 1.959 (Champions Hockey League)
2. Villach 1.851 (Champions Hockey League)
3. Fehervar 1.750
4. Vienna 1.667
5. Pustertal 1.592
6. Ljubljana 1.587
7. Znojmo 1.542
8. Klagenfurt 1.531
9. Bolzano 1.500
10. Graz 1.479
11. Innsbruck 1.388
12. Dornbirn 0.938
13. Linz 0.755

Voting of the League MVP:

1. Peter Schneider (Salzburg), 40
2. T.J. Brennan (Salzburg), 38
3. John Hughes (Villach) and Radek Prokeš (Znojmo), 15 each

Pre-playoff:

As the highest-ranking of the four teams, Znojmo had the right to pick its opponent and they opted for Graz. Thus, the two best-of-3 series starting on March 2 will be:

Znojmo vs Graz
Klagenfurt vs Bolzano

 

[Theokritos]

News I didn't report last week: Bet at Home is stopping its operations in Austria and subsequently also stops serving as sponsor of the Ice Hockey League. New league sponsor is another betting provider: Win2day.

 

[Theokritos]

Pre-playoff, game 1 (on Wednesday):​

Klagenfurt vs Bolzano 3-2 OT
Bolzano went ahead 1-0 early and held on to this lead for a very long time. The away team spent most of the game defending while KAC didn't show enough offensive flair to overcome the resistance. Not much excitement in this game – until regulation time was nearing its end. With only a little more than 1 minute on the clock, Klagenfurt (with their goaltender pulled) got a bit lucky (the referees missed an obvious tripping call) and finally managed to tie the game. And then, a quick attack allowed them to follow it up with another goal. A complete turnaround! Within 40 seconds, KAC had gone from 0-1 to 2-1. But their sudden lead didn't last: with 13 seconds left to play, Bolzano (now it was their turn to play with the goaltender pulled) brought the puck on the Klagenfurt goal and a defender of the home team deflected the disc into his own net. 2-2! In the overtime Klagenfurt played their best hockey of the night and it brought them the win.

Znojmo vs Graz 3-2 OT
Not the best game by Znojmo who still had an edge against a Graz side that was weakened by injuries. The away team gave a good effort though and managed to tie the game two times after Znojmo had gone ahead. But in overtime Graz took 6 penalty minutes, which ended up killing them as Znojmo scored a game-winning powerplay goal.

Game 2 (today):​

Graz vs Znojmo
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
No stream.

Bolzano vs Klagenfurt
19:45 CET = 13:45 EST
Free stream: Sport - IceHL: Ice Hockey League | PULS 24

 

[Theokritos]

Games last Friday:

Graz vs Znojmo 4-5 OT (Znojmo wins series 2-0)
Znojmo went ahead 2-0 in the first period and everything seemed to be on track for them to advance. But Graz showed character, battled hard in the second period and scored three unanswered goals. Then they added another goal early in the last period to make it 4-2. But in the last 10 minutes, Znojmo managed to score two more goals to tie the game. 4-4 after 60 minutes. Overtime went on for 27 minutes until the visitors finally scored the series-clinching game winner.

Bolzano vs Klagenfurt 0-7 (Klagenfurt wins series 2-0)
What a disastrous way for Bolzano to go out. They had an edge throughout the first two periods and created a fair share of chances, but were held scoreless by KAC goaltender Sebastian Dahm. Klagenfurt, on the other hand, could hardly get anything going offensively and yet – scored one goal each period to go ahead 2-0 out of almost nothing. Early in the last period, they made it 3-0 on what was maybe their 6th or 7th shot on goal. Then the wheels fell of for Bolzano. Within the last 11 minutes of the game, KAC scored four more unanswered goals and the frustration of the home team led to two game misconducts.

Qualified for the playoffs:
1. Salzburg
2. Villach
3. Fehervar
4. Vienna
5. Pustertal
6. Ljubljana
7. Znojmo (advanced in pre-playoffs)
8. Klagenfurt (advanced in pre-playoffs)
9. Bolzano (eliminated in pre-playoffs)
10. Graz (eliminated in pre-playoffs)
11. Innsbruck
12. Dornbirn
13. Linz

As #1 team of the regular season, Salzburg was allowed to pick its QF opponent and they picked Znojmo. Villach as #2 team picked Ljubljana, Fehervar as #3 picked Pustertal. Interesting that all three of them avoided picking Klagenfurt, but their 7-0 win against Bolzano plus the return of players like Nick Petersen and Paul Postma plus their playoff success in the previous years were the relevant considerations there.

Quarterfinal matchups:

Salzburg vs Znojmo
Head coaches: Matt McIlvane vs Glen Hanlon
Salzburg's regular season record vs Znojmo:
Home: 2-0 wins, 8-4 goals
Away: 1-1 wins, 6-5 goals
Znojmo won their first game against Salzburg back in October. The following three encounters were all won by Salzburg.

Villach vs Ljubljana
Head coaches: Rob Daum vs Matic Krajl
Villach's regular season record against Ljubljana:
Home: 1-1 wins, 7-6 goals
Away: 1-1 wins, 4-8 goals
An even record with a GD advantage for Ljubljana, but their two wins against Villach came before Christmas. The last two encounters were won by Villach.

Fehervar vs Pustertal
Head coaches: Kevin Constantine vs Raimo Helminen
Fehervar's regular season record against Pustertal:
Home: 2-0, 10-6 goals
Away: 0-2, 7-10 goals
A mixed record, but both teams haven't played each other since December. If Pustertal can continue where they stopped in the regular season, this could be a close series.

Vienna vs Klagenfurt
Head coaches: Dave Barr vs Petri Matikainen
Vienna's regular season record against Vienna:
Home: 0-2, 2-5 goals
Away: 1-1, 2-5 goals
Klagenfurt has the better head-to-head record, so everything is possible in this series.

Games today (QF Game 1):

Free stream:​

Vienna vs Klagenfurt
19:45 CET = 13:15 EST
Stream: Sport - IceHL: Ice Hockey League | PULS 24

Pay streams:​

Salzburg vs Znojmo
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Stream: ICE Hockey League Live Streaming

Villach vs Ljubljana
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Stream: ICE Hockey League Live Streaming

Fehervar vs Pustertal
19:15 CET = 13:15 EST
Stream: ICE Hockey League Live Streaming

 

[Theokritos]

Unfortunately the last few posts were wiped out. So here are the results of Game 1 & Game 2 again.

Game 1 (last Wednesday):

Salzburg vs Znojmo 3-1
Villach vs Ljubljana 4-6
Fehervar vs Pustertal 8-1
Vienna vs Klagenfurt 1-2 OT

Game 2 (last Friday):

Znojmo vs Salzburg 2-3 (Salzburg leads 2-0 now)
Ljubljana vs Villach 3-4 (series tied 1-1)
Pustertal vs Fehervar 2-6 (Fehervar leads 2-0 now)
Klagenfurt vs Vienna 1-4 (series tied 1-1)

Games today:

Free stream:​

Vienna vs Klagenfurt
17:30 CET = 11:30 EST
The series is tied 1-1 even though Vienna was the better team in both games. Klagenfurt's defensive attitude and their good goaltending isn't easy to overcome, but on the flipside they often lack scoring punch.
Stream: Sport - IceHL: Ice Hockey League

Pay streams:​

Salzburg vs Znojmo
16:30 CET = 10:30 EST
Znojmo has been able to keep it rather close for two games, but with Salzburg leading 2-0 now it remains to be seen whether the Czech club will keep its cool. Will they decide to shift to desperate attacking in Game 3?
Stream: ICE Hockey League Live Streaming

Fehervar vs Pustertal
17:30 CET = 11:30 EST
After two bad defeats Pustertal needs a success now, but Fehervar didn't win by coincidence and will be hard to beat at home.
Stream: ICE Hockey League Live Streaming

Villach vs Ljubljana
17:30 CET = 11:30 EST
VSV has the chance to take the series lead. Ljubljana keeps working hard, but if Villach were able to overcome them in the away game then they should be able to do the same at home... provided they are focused and composed, which is not always a given.
Stream: ICE Hockey League Live Streaming

 

[Theokritos]

Games yesterday:

Salzburg vs Znojmo 5-3 (Salzburg leads 3-0 now)
Vienna vs Klagenfurt 5-3 (Vienna leads 2-1 now)
Fehervar vs Pustertal 5-2 (Fehervar leads 3-0 now)
Villach vs Ljubljana 8-5 (Villach leads 2-1 now)