EBEL; Second part of the season - round 6

TOP6 games:

KHL MEDVESCAK ZAGREB – HDD TILIA Olimpija Ljubljana  3:1 (0:1, 2:0, 1:0)

Few days after finishing their “Arena Ice Fever” series, Medvescak started with this season’s Nescafe Salata Winter Classic games. Their winter classics are played on an ice-skate ring on Salata, part of Zagreb where it all started 50 years ago. Last night’s conditions were very hard equally for both teams and the spectators. Snow was falling and the temperature was approximately minus ten degrees Celsius. Difficult conditions prevented both teams to perform well during the first period as the players mainly struggled to control the puck on chippy ice. The only goal of the period was scored in 16^th minute, when Brock McBride’s shot got funny bounced in front of home goalie – this time it was Michael Ouzas – and finished inside the net (0:1). Second period’s conditions weren’t much better. Bears took advantage of the newly cleaned ice and scored two quick goals inside three minutes. Matt Siddall equalized in 22^nd minute, when he managed to put the bouncing puck in front of Pintaric’s goal into the net (1:1). Alan Letang capitalized on rebound in 25^th minute PP for Medvescak (2:1). The rest of the period was quiet. Final period offered one more home team goal as Gal Koren (Olimpija’s product) finished on nice Adam Naglich’s pass in 52^nd minute (3:1). Interesting thing happened in the last minute, when Pintaric tried to leave the ice for an extra skater, but was knocked out by one of the referees during process. The game was stopped for that, moments before Medvescak scored – of course disallowed – goal. Bears are now second, four points behind Linz, but also four points in front of following Sapa and Olimpija.

EC KAC – SAPA Fehervar AV 19  2:1 (1:0,0:0,1:1)

Last night’s game in Klagenfurt was another example of what SAPA is capable. Home team tried to put some pressure on guests right from the start of the game, but guests from Hungary defended very well and were dangerous on counter attacks. Anyway, Mike Siklenka put home team in the lead in 14^th minute, when he scored from the blue line (1:0). The pressure from KAC faded after that and both teams were quite equal on the ice. Second period didn’t offer much to the fans. Red Jackets were trying to impose their play, but the Devils from Szekesfehervar were more dangerous on occasions. No goals were scored though. Final period offered more excitement. Balasz Ladanyi leveled the score in 53^rd minute and it all smelled like overtime until Christopher Brandner scored the winning goal for KAC in 57^th minute. KAC is still on the bottom of TOP6 group with five points, SAPA is third with a single point more.

EC Red Bull Salzburg – EHC Liwest Black Wings Linz  4:1 (0:0, 2:1, 2:0)

Marty Turco finally appeared on the ice for Salzburg! It was a huge boost for home team, which recently performed quite poor. Turco showed his status quick after the game started, as he shouted loud at his team colleague, Markus Pöck, the defenseman; apparently he needed to be more focused, as Turco was forced to save after his defensive blow. First goal of the night came in 22^nd minute, when Ramzi Abid scored on rebound (1:0). Black Wings hit the metal frame of Turco’s goal later, and the  equalizer came in 26^th minute. Danny Irmen scored right from the face-off, and it was Turco’s fault (1:1). Penalty shot for Linz in 32^nd minute was saved by Turco. Manuel Latusa scored a shorthanded goal in 38^th minute to give Red Bulls another lead (2:1). Michael Schiechl extended home team’s lead in 46^th minute (3:1). A goal for Linz was disallowed after video studies took place later. Doug Lynch was the last to score in the game, as he confirmed Salzburg’s prestigious win in 49^th minute (4:1). Linz is still comfortable on top of the league, four points clear of following Medvescak. Red Bulls are fifth.

QUALIFICATION GROUP games:

HC Orli Znojmo - Moser Medical Graz 99ers  4:1 (1:0, 2:1, 1:0)

First season's win over Graz took Orli Znojmo on top of the qualification group. Jiri Beroun's one timer opened the scoring in the 3rd minute already (1:0). Guests were trying to respond, but Ondrej Kacetl was on top of his skills during the first period. Mike Danton and Dustin Van Ballegooie “earned” themselves a personal misconduct penalty for fighting. Orli opened the second period furiously. Antonin Boruta, Radek Haman, Martin Planek, Adam Havlik and Peter Pucher failed to score from great chances or in fact Fredric Cloutier stopped their shots. It all resulted in 28^th minute on the other side, as Zdenek Blatny, the Czech, levelled the score (1:1). Danton renewed Orli’s lead in 35^th minute (2:1) and it helped home team to score another two minutes later (3:1, Pucher). Additional nice chances for Orli were missed in the final period and guests had to do something – they provoked a fight; Guillaume Lefebvre and Jakub Stehlik performed a boxing match. Sebastien Bissaillon hit the post of home team’s goal later, but 99ers could not score until the end of game. In fact, orli added another in 58^th minute, when Jan Lattner scored from the blue line (4:1). Orli are now on top of Qualification group, Graz s currently out of play-off zone on third place.

EC REKORD-Fenster VSV – HK Acroni Jesenice  3:1 (0:0, 3:1, 0:0)

Winning Tuesday's game in Graz, guests from nearby Slovenian town came with clear wish for another win, which would theoretically keep them in run for the play-offs. Anyway, VSV was the dangerous team, as Mike Craig, Shayne Toporowski and Rob Shearer failed to score on good chances during the first period, but guests defended very well. Greg Kuznik was first to score in 29^th minute (1:0). Stefan Bacher doubled the lead in 34^th minute, capitalizing on marvellous pass by Tomaz Razingar, once a hero for Jesenice fans (2:0). Branislav Bendik gave guests some home two minutes later, when he scored (2:1). Another two minutes later, Mario Altmann extended VSV’s lead once more on two goals (3:1). Final period was once more dominated by home team, as guests clearly run out of the steam, but no additional goals were scored. VSV is currently on play-off spot, levelled with points on top of the Qualification group with Orli. Jesenice are now without any theoretical chances for play-off; they are on bottom of the league.

Schedule for next round, Sunday, February 5^th, 2012:

TOP6 group:
Szekesfehervar (HUN): SAPA – RB Salzburg

Ljubljana (SLO): Olimpija – BW Linz

Zagreb (CRO): Medvescak – EC KAC

Qualification group:
Jesenice (SLO): HK Jesenice – Graz 99ers

Znojmo (CZE): Orli Znojmo – Vienna Capitals

Tweets by @eurohockey