EBEL - sixth round review

UPC Vienna Capitals – HK Acroni Jesenice  5:4 (0:0,0:1,4:3,0:0,1:0)

Highly motivated Capitals were trying to win a home game for the first time this season. Their opposition, Slovenian champions on the other hand were trying to grab their first points of the season. Jesenice played a strong defensive game and Vienna didn’t score on a 5 on 3 situation in 25 seconds of the first period. The second period offered a similar game with Vienna attacking but the guest's goalie Gasper Kroselj was unbeatable. A counter attack of Jesenice ended with a puck in the home net in the 25^th minute and the guests scored once more during a power play situation after 40 seconds of the third period. Vienna’s answers came in the 48^th and 50^th minute when Benoit Gratton and Dan Bjornlie leveled the score. The festival of goals in the third period was then followed by Jesenice’s lead in the 51^st minute, but once again the score was leveled by the home team in the 52^nd. Vienna came in front in 58^th minute, but Jesenice were determined to reach their first points of the season and they once again leveled the score in the 59^th minute. Extra time did not give any answers about the winner and penalty shooting went Vienna’s way as Jonathan Ferland was the only goal scorer on both sides.

EC Red Bull Salzburg – HDD Tilia Olimpija Ljubljana  3:2 (0:0,2:1,0:1,0:0,1:0)

The second match between Austrian and Slovenian representatives in EBEL was also decoded after penalty shooting. This game however offered Austrian champions against opposition from Slovenian capital. The first period offered very good hockey with the home goalie blocking 14 shots and the guest goalie blocking 13 as well. The nets however remained empty. The second period was a bit more efficient, as Red Bulls scored in the 23^rd and Olimpija leveled the score in the 28^th minute. A minute before the second buzzer Robbie Earl scored on a rebound and Salzburg had the lead after two periods. The Slovenians begun the third period with a two-man advantage but Salzburg in fact had a good chance to come in front. Olimpija played strong during the third period and was clearly a better team but Salzburg missed a great chance to win a few moments before the end of the third period. Both teams were calculating during overtime and the penalty shoot out went Salzburg’s way with Ramzi Abid scoring the only goal.

EC KAC – Sapa Fehervar AV19  2:1 (0:0,0:1,2:1)

The fifth win in five games for KAC, only this time a very tough one. Hungarian champions Sapa played their very well known strong defensive game using quick counter attacks to threaten KAC’s confidence. A few chances missed in the first period for Sapa were quite a big warning for the home side, but nothing changed during the second. KAC was the attacking side, only this time one of the counter attacks finished with Sapa scoring a leading goal in the 33^rd minute. The final period offered a siege of Sapa’s goal and KAC’s first goal was disallowed for standing in the goalie's territory in the 46^th minute. Two minutes later KAC managed to level the score and the 54^th minute gave us the winner: KAC scored once again and reached its 12^th win in 12 matches against Sapa in Klagenfurt.

EC Rekord Fenster VSV – KHL Medvescak Zagreb  2:4 (0:2,2:2,0:0)

The third home game for Villach this season ended with the third defeat and once again proved fears that VSV is not in a good form at the beginning of the season. It all looked different after three rounds though. Both teams started the match quietly concentrating on defence. Medvescak was the first team to attack more solid since the 10^th minute and was scoring a power play goal in the 12^th. The 15^th minute offered another Bear’s goal, only this time it was short–handed. Medvescak repeated the whole scene in the 23^rd and 26^th minute with power play and short-handed goals to lead the game 4:0. Derek Damon then scored twice during 5 on 3 and 5 on 4 situations in the 27^th and 29^th minute, but that was about all from the home team. The last period offered no goals as Medvescak controlled the middle of the ice and secured two points on their account.

Moser Medical Graz 99ers – HC Orli Znojmo  7:1 (2:1,5:0,0:0)

Graz fans were very disappointed after five rounds: only one win for the 99ers. Winning against the newcomers in the league was therefore a must. The Czechs were starting the game very defensively and Graz had trouble dealing with it. However, a strange goal opened the scoring in the 8^th minute. Blatny’s shot was deflected off Orli’s defender and it flew over their goalie to hit the net. Nothing much changed after that, no good hockey was seen. Orli managed to level the score in the 13^th minute, but Graz hit the net in the 19^th to win the first period. The second period was something else: Graz scored 5 times, having missed a lot chances besides that and letting Orli only one dangerous shot at the home goal – 7:1 was the result after two periods. The last period was played by young players on both sides, Znojmo actually used 10 players younger than 20 years. Orli also had 9 power play chances and did not hit the net. Both teams now have 4 points on their account – Znojmo from five games, Graz from six games played.

Schedule for Friday, September the 30^th:

Znojmo (CZE): HC Orli Znojmo – Sapa Fehervar AV19

Zagreb (CRO): KHL Medvescak – HDD Tilia Olimpija

Linz: EHC BW Linz – EC KAC

Graz: Moser Medical Graz 99ers – Red Bull Salzburg

Jesenice (SLO): Acroni Jesenice – EC Rekord Fenster VSV

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