EBEL: The Sharks don’t frighten the Caps

The Tyrolean goal for this season is one of the beloved terms in hockey: Playoffs. Since their comeback into Austria’s top league in the 2012/2013 season, they have always just been spectators in the off-season. So far this year, the Sharks have demonstrated to be a competitive and much improved team. With only five points away from the Vienna Capitals, important points for the final winner of the hotly contested sixth place were on the line in this Halloween matchup.

In the opening period the Capitals were the more active team. Despite that, the Sharks defended their house effectively, leaving the vice-champions with not much room to work with. Simon Gamache was once found in the slot arena, but his spin did not outsmart Innsbruck-goalkeeper Andy Chiodo. On the other end of the rink, David Kickert did not face lots of challenges, even though he had to be ready on Jason Ulmer’s wrist shot from the hash marks.

Vienna tried to build up pressure at the beginning of the middle frame. MacGregor Sharp and Patrick Peter both had excellent scoring chances, but Chiodo stayed perfect. If you don’t score the opponent will and so it was the ‘Haie’ to gain the lead. On the man advantage, Ulmer brought the puck on net and Derek Hahn, 2014 DEL champion with Ingolstadt, was ready to tip it in.

The home team did though not take long to find the equalizer. In the 30^th minute Florian Iberer’s slap shot from the point beat Chiodo and brought the 4400 fans in ‘Albert Schulz Halle’ on their feet. Matt Dzieduszycki wanted to use this momentum for the go-ahead-goal, but the 27-year-old Canadian could not find the back of the net. Innsbruck could enjoy a 5-on-3 power play to finish the period, which though ended without any effect on the scoreboard.

The pace of the game would not change the third period: Vienna was still in most parts in control of the game, whereas the Tyroleans kept waiting for mistakes. One of those chances was given to Benedikt Schennach in the 51^st minute, only to be denied by the Kickert’s crossbar. The Capitals created various opportunities to decide the game in regulation time, but Andy Chiodo proved all his experience sending the game into overtime.

The game would not be decided in the first four minutes of extra time, highlighted by Jason Ulmer again hitting Vienna’s post. This meant it was time for some exciting 3 on 3 hockey.  There it was Simon Gamache to decide the game with a perfectly placed wrist shot, making it a perfect weekend for the Capitals after Friday’s victory against Dornbirn.

The EBEL now goes on a three-week long international break with defending champion Salzburg leading the standings. However, the race for a position in the Top 6 is still very open, as proven by the standings: The 7^th seeded Vienna Capitals are only 7 points behind Red Bull and there still is much hockey to be played.

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