Battle for the playoff places in the East inten­si­fies – Western show­down between Hohenems and Kufstein

EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions vs. UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden
Wed, 17 January 2024, 18:30, Aichfeldhalle

The situation ahead of the return game between EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions and UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden is clear: with a win after 60 minutes, the Styrians can book their playoff ticket and definitively secure a place in the top four.

The Lions from the Murtal celebrated a 6:3 win at the Haifischbecken on Lake Traun on Saturday, earning themselves this perfect starting position. For the Sharks from Gmunden, playoff qualification is becoming increasingly difficult, and a win after 60 minutes is a must for the team coached by head coach Gregor Baumgartner on Wednesday.

Christian Mayerl, chairman of Zeltweg Murtal Lions, is hoping for a repeat of the strong performance on Lake Traun: "That was a big win in Gmunden, and of course we hope we can build on that at home. Because if we win, we will have secured the playoffs, and everything else will be a bonus. That means full focus on the game against Gmunden so that we can take the three points. The second objective, of course, is to finish second in order to avoid the West’s selection rights. Then we will see who we get and how things go. We still have a difficult opponent in ATSE, then WEV and, right at the end, Kapfenberg – that will be a huge task. But who knows what will happen by then!"

Sharks head coach Gregor Baumgartner is demanding a response from his team: "The game in Zeltweg is an opportunity for us to deliver a better performance than we did at home. Our performance at home was absolutely unworthy, and I expect more passion in our game!"

Wiener Eislauf-Verein vs. Kapfenberger SV
Sat, 20 January 2024, 18:00, WEV Arena, Lothringerstraße 22

Wiener Eislauf-VereinWiener Eislauf-Verein are also still right in the thick of the battle for a playoff place ahead of the open-air clash at Wiener Konzerthaus against Kapfenberger SV. Games against the dominant league leaders from the Mürztal come at an inopportune time. On Friday, the team coached by head coach Mario Kubeczka lost 1:6 to the Kangaroos, who dropped their first point against ATSE a day later.

The open-air games in Vienna are among the highlights of the Ö Eishockey Liga and have all been genuine ice hockey spectacles so far, while WEV had been building momentum on home ice before Christmas.

Mario Kubeczka, WEV head coach, knows that there can be no lapses in concentration against the Kangaroos: "In our last game against Kapfenberg, we slept through the opening five minutes of the first and second periods. Consistent hockey over 60 minutes and efficiency will be decisive in this game. On Saturday, we can finally call on an almost complete squad again and will do everything we can to earn important points for the playoffs!"

Kapfenberg President Franz Gärtner is looking forward to the Open-Air Classic in Vienna: "We head to Vienna highly motivated and with a great deal of confidence, having won twelve matches. However, we know that no city tour or sightseeing awaits us in Vienna, but rather a difficult game. WEV will fight for every point to claim one of the three remaining playoff places. It will certainly be a great match, the weather forecast is good too, and I believe it will be a fantastic Winter Classic at Vienna's Heumarkt!"

UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden vs. UHT Dukes Graz
Sat., 20 January 2024, 18:15, Gmunden Ice Rink

The clash between UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden and UHT Dukes Graz is all about "the very last playoff chance". What the situation looks like with regard to that chance will also depend on the Sharks Gmunden's clash with the Zeltweg Murtal Lions on the preceding Wednesday.

Mathematically, neither the Upper Austrians nor the Styrians are out of the playoff race yet. However, the Dukes have only three games remaining and can collect a maximum of nine points. A playoff berth seems a distant prospect, but it is not quite over yet for the Graz Dukes either.

Gmunden Head Coach Gregor Baumgartner praises the Graz side: “The Dukes are a fast and active team, so you have to stay focused in order to make the most of the opportunities that arise. That means sticking to the game plan and playing flat out.”

EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions vs. ATSE Graz
Sat., 20 January 2024, 19:00, Aichfeldhalle

The EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions will already know before the match against ATSE Graz whether their playoff berth has been secured early or not – after Wednesday's home game against Sharks Gmunden. That will determine how much, if any, pressure there is on the Lions at the weekend against ATSE at the Aichfeldhalle.

The Graz side, meanwhile, face an enormously important match, as they are currently in fourth place and need every point in their bid to reach the playoffs. Head Coach Markus Losch's team most recently claimed a sensational point at home in a 3:4 overtime defeat against league leaders Kapfenberg.

ATSE Head Coach Markus Losch: "After last weekend's game against KSV, we now need to carry that momentum into the match against EV Zeltweg. Zeltweg have taken maximum points from each of their recent games. We now need to stay alert and continue playing with discipline in order to make a good start in Zeltweg. If we follow our game plan, we can certainly be difficult opponents. We want to take the three points from the Aichfeld back to Graz.”

Ö Eishockey Liga - Division West:

EHC Crocodiles Kundl vs. VEU Feldkirch
Fri, 19 January 2024, 19:30, Eisarena Kundl

The EHC Crocodiles Kundl face VEU Feldkirch on Friday. The playoff places in the Division West have long since been decided, and both teams have known for some time that they will be taking part in the Ö Eishockey Liga inter-regional playoffs.

Since Jaroslav Betka took over as coach, the Tyroleans have shown an upturn in form and recorded three consecutive wins over the Christmas period, two of them statement victories against the previous dominant forces in the West, SC Hohenems and HC Kufstein. Most recently, the Lower Inn Valley side lost 5:6 to the Steinböcke. However, the Crocodiles once again gave the league leaders an exciting match, mounting a comeback in the final period that ultimately went unrewarded.

Kundl chairman Gerhard Maier is pleased with his team's upturn in form: "Although we narrowly lost the last game, we performed well there too. We are heading in the right direction, so next Friday only a win will do."

SC Samina Hohenems vs. HC Kufstein
Sat, 20 January 2024, 17:30, Eisstadion Hohenems

The SC Samina Hohenems face HC Kufstein in the Eisstadion Hohenems, also known as the Herrenriedstadion, in a blockbuster clash. First place against second place means there will be plenty of ice hockey quality on show. For both teams, this head-to-head is a chance to assess where they stand ahead of the playoffs, although their positions in the table will remain unchanged. However, HC Kufstein have a score to settle with the Vorarlberg side this season, as the Dragons have yet to win a single match against the Schlittschuhclub.  

Thomas Sticha, Head Coach of SC Hohenems, knows the Dragons very well after four fiercely contested games: "It will be the fifth meeting between us and, of course, there are no longer many secrets that the teams do not know about each other. It will therefore be a game in which the small details will be decisive. Playing too elaborately can quickly have negative consequences against Kufstein, and we want to avoid that."

Ö Eishockey Liga - Division East:

EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions vs. UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden
Wed, 17 January 2024, 18:30, Aichfeldhalle

Wiener Eislauf-Verein vs. Kapfenberger SV
Sat, 20 January 2024, 18:00, WEV Arena, Lothringerstraße 22

UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden vs. UHT Dukes Graz
Sat, 20 January 2024, 18:15, Gmunden Ice Rink

EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions vs. ATSE Graz
Sat, 20 January 2024, 19:00, Aichfeldhalle

Ö Eishockey Liga – Division West:

EHC Crocodiles Kundl vs. VEU Feldkirch
Fri, 19 January 2024, 19:30, Eisarena Kundl

SC Samina Hohenems vs. HC Kufstein
Sat, 20 January 2024, 17:30, Eisstadion Hohenems

Dornbirner EC vs. SC Samina Hohenems 2:13 (0:3,2:5,0:5)
Tue, 16 January 2024, 19:30, Messestadion
Dornbirner EC goalscorers: Sebastian Koberger (at 24:22), Jannik Fitz (at 26:19)
SC Samina Hohenems goalscorers: Marcel Wolf (at 06:32, 51:13), Benjamin Kyllönen (at 10:27/PP1, 45:59), Felix Vonbun (at 10:56), Matthias Fussenegger (at 22:31), Johannes Hehle (at 27:48), Panu Hyyppä (at 28:26), Niklas Gehringer (at 29:08), Janic Heisig (at 29:50), Thomas Auer (at 48:44), Christian Haidinger (at 50:30), David Slivnik (at 53:40)

VEU Feldkirch vs. Dornbirner EC 3:2 (1:0,2:0,0:2)
Sun, 14 January 2024, 18:00, Vorarlberghalle
VEU Feldkirch goalscorers: Fabio Pfeiffer (at 02:47), Yannick Wiedner (at 22:27), Markus Zeitler (at 37:48)
Dornbirner EC goalscorers: Ricardo Bell (at 42:14), Leon Schmeiser (at 43:00)

All Ö Eishockey Liga standings, statistics and fixtures in the Gamecenter

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