EBEL - round 25

EHC Liwest Black wings Linz – HDD Tilia Olimpija  4:0 (0:0,3:0,1:0)

Game in Linz was considered top game in EBEL in round 25. Black wings’ form is really frightening opponents this year. Guests from Slovenian capital came to Linz without four injured players, plus one got sick before the game. They also decided to give rest to their star goalie J.P. Lamoreux. Black wings were dominant in first period as they outshot Olimpija 15:6. Guests concentrated on fast breaks and were occasionally quite dangerous, but the best chances were result of home team’s pressure. Another trouble for guests appeared at the beginning of second period when Anze Ropret ended up injured. Martin Mairitsch scored his fourth goal of the season in 25^th minute to put Linz in front (1:0). Unfortunate reaction of guest’s goalie ended up in another goal only 76 seconds later, Patrick Spannring was goal scorer (2:0). Guests somehow surrender after that already. Linz played solid in defence and were threatening to score some more goals. Third goal came in 33^rd minute when Danny Irmen scored (3:0) to extend the lead and make sold out home arena ecstatic. Irmen added another goal in 45^th minute (4:0) and the game was decided after that. Third period finished with no real threats from guests. Home team missed few nice chances, but Matija Pintaric – guest’s goalie – proved he can defend his net really well. Black wings Linz are on top of EBEL as the most scoring team – they scored 90 goals in 23 games played - with 9 points advantage, Olimpija is now fourth.

HC Orli Znojmo – KHL Medvescak Zagreb  1:5 (0:1,1:2,0:2)

Medvescak is in great form! Last night’s win was tenth in eleven games. Guests came to Czech Republic without their star goalie Robert Kristan, but his backup Michael Ouzas was also very good. Both goalies proved to be key figures in their team during first period as they stopped many dangerous shots. Joel Prpic was first to score in 15^th minute (0:1). He missed another nice opportunity for Medvescak shortly after that. Guests were the dangerous side at the beginning of second period, but Znojmo scored on 2 on 1 chance in 25^th minute to level the score (1:1). Two minor penalties were whistled against Orli in 30^th minute. Adam Naglich renewed Medvescak’s lead in PP2 (1:2) and added another goal in 34^th minute (1:3). Martin Podesva’s deflected puck bounced off the post as he was unlucky not to put Orli closer before end of second period. Another unlucky post was hit by David Videlka at the beginning of third period. Home team was frustrated even more when Pascal Morency scored another goal for guests in 45^th minute (1:4). It was in fact the decisive goal as Orli didn’t produce anything serious after that. Geoff Waugh added fifth goal with a distance shot in 59^th minute (1:5) to put Medvescak on third place in EBEL standings. Orli Znojmo are ninth.

HK Acroni Jesenice – UPC Vienna Capitals 3:2  (0:1,2:1,0:0,0:0,1:0)

Vienna Capitals were last team beaten in Podmezakla ice hall before seven foreign players decided to leave HK Acroni Jesenice. There were announcements from Jesenice that Lukas Hvila decided to stay after all, but he disappeared from Slovenia after he was payed for his previous performances. There was another announcement that Swedish born Henrik Petre is willing to play for Jesenice, but fans and public lost any trust in club’s PR. Petre appeared on ice and was given big applause by poor home crowd for that. There were many youngsters in home team, 16-years old Nik Pem and his fellow Matic Zajsek started in third line. Nobody really expected home team to win. Jesenice started surprisingly aggressive, but experienced guests were the dangerous team at the beginning. Michal Fikrt performed great early in the game, saving home net and demonstrated fighting spirit of young home team. Ryan Kavanagh put guests in front in 5^th minute (0:1), but youngsters from Jesenice kept fighting. Both teams missed few chances to score before first intermission. Home team came on ice really determined to level the score in second period. They managed to do that in 25^th minute when Anze Kuralt scored Jesenice’s first shorthanded goal of the season (1:1). It was also first home goal for Jesenice after as much as 167:29 minutes. Home team managed to stay unbeaten in PP2 situation for Vienna between 31^st and 33^rd minute. Fighting spirit and persistence of Antti Pusa gave Anze Kuralt another chance to score in 37^th minute and 20-year old Slovenian did just that. He “killed spider family” in top left corner of Reinhard Divis’ goal to put home team in front (2:1). Interesting thing is that Kuralt scored 4 times this season and all of his goals were against Capitals. Power play situation for Vienna disappointed home crowd some minute and a half later when Jonathan Ferland levelled the score on 2. Home team was threatening during whole last period, but there wasn’t any luck in their shots. Over time was marked by minor penalty for Vienna, but score shield didn’t change. Michal Fikrt saved all three shots from Vienna in penalty shooting and Anze Kuralt finished the game in style: he was the only scorer (3:2). 1200 fans were ecstatic as home team won their first points in five games. Jesenice are still on bottom of EBEL standings, Vienna Capitals are sixth.

EC Red bull Salzburg – Sapa Fehervar AV19  3:2 (0:0,1:1,2:1)

Istvan Sofron and Csaba Kovacs failed to score an opening goal for Sapa early during the game. Guests were surprisingly the better side in first minutes. It took as much as 6 minutes for Salzburg to produce a goal scoring chance, but Thomas Raffl was too surprised to put puck in an empty net. Red bulls controlled the puck and were trying to put some pressure to  Hungarian goal keeper Bence Balisz who defended guest’s net instead of their first goalie Adam Munro. Guests were more dangerous team and Bulls were quite lucky they were not behind after first period, although they hit the post themselves. Brent Aubin opened the scoring in 22^nd minute (1:0) when he deflected long distance shoot from Doug Lynch. Palkovics levelled the score for Sapa in 31^st minute. Guests hit the post in 39^th minute and both teams had to decide the winner in third period. Hungarian champions got in front in 44^th minute when Arpad Mihaly scored (1:2). Guests missed another two great chances before Thomas Raffl managed to level the score in 49^th minute (2:2). Balisz saved great Bull’s chance moments after, but it was all Salzburg later in the game. Ramzi Abid scored on rebound in 57^th minute Sapa failed to score on two great goal scoring chances before final buzzer and they were really unlucky not to win at least a point in Salzburg. They are currently on seventh place in the league, Salzburg is now second.

EC Rekord-fenster VSV – Moser Medical Graz 99ers  5:0 (1:0,2:0,2:0)

VSV won their fourth consecutive home game last night. They were really aggressive right from the start. Frederic Cloutier, new goalie for Graz performed well to keep his team levelled until 17^th minute when Mike Craig tried to pass the puck to Markus Peintner, but it somehow ended in guest’s net (1:0). Peintner added a goal himself in 33^rd minute (2:0), and added another during PP situation in 36^th minute (3:0). Both goals were scored on rebound. Peintner in fact failed to score moments before second intermission as he hit the post. Mike Craig also scored his second goal of the night in 45^th minute of game (4:0) and Gerhard Unterluggauer added fifth goal for VSV in 55^th minute. It was third shut-out of the season for home goalie Bernhard Starkbaum. VSV is on tenth place with 18 points, 99ers are eighth with single point more.

Schedule for 26^th round, Sunday, November 27^th 2011-11-26

Szekesfehervar (HUN): Sapa fehervar AV19 – EC KAC

Zagreb (CRO): KHL Medvescak – Black wings Linz

Ljubljana (SLO): Tilia Olimpija – Red bull Salzburg

Villach: EC VSV – Acroni Jesenice

Vienna: Vienna capitals – Orli Znojmo

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