For the first time this season, Vienna Capitals are not in first place after a round of the Erste Bank Ice Hockey League (EBEL). The defending champion was defeated at the end of the 8th round on Wednesday. In the second round of the Pick Round at the KAC 1:3 and dropped back to third place behind Linz and Salzburg. In the qualifying round, Leader Dornbirn was defeated in the top duel by pursuer Fehervar 4:5 after penalty shooting.
In Klagenfurt, in front of a good 3,000 spectators in the initial phase, things went from one shot to the next. After only 28 seconds of play Marco Brucker scored the lead for the “Redjackets”, only 44 seconds later Rafael Rotter took the equalizer. But the capitals had used it to shoot their powder. Andrew Kozek put the hosts back in the lead (13th) before the first break and Kozek fixed the final score (36. /PP).
For the remaining two laps there is a close race for the first three “picks”, Salzburg and the capitals are only one point behind Linz. On the penultimate round of the “Pick Round” matchday, the top three will all be away on Friday – Linz at the KAC, Salzburg in Innsbruck and the caps in Zagreb, which have now been defeated three times in a row. The KAC has the best chance of taking fourth place, with a lead of three points over Zagreb and Innsbruck.
“The early goal after 28 seconds did not throw us out of line, we immediately hit back,”said Capitals coach Serge Aubin,”My boys worked hard, but still couldn’t turn the match around. However, we still have every chance in the table. We have to pay attention to the little things, return to our simple game, stand defensively solidly and come in front of the opponent’s goal with fast combinations.”
In Szekesfehervar, the home side scored 2-0 in the first six minutes, while Brodie Reid (32nd) and Martin Grabher Meier (33rd) equalised within 43 seconds after just halfway through the season. But the Hungarians also countered with a double strike within 40 seconds (38th, 39th). Dustin Sylvester (42nd) and Sean McMonagle (46th) shot the people of Vorarlberg into overtime. Finally, Krisztian Szabo took the decisive penalty.
The Dornbirner are in the top two with 23 points and thus in the quarter-finals, Fehervar is second with 17 points and has a point bonus on HCB Südtirol and five on Znojmo. Fehervar could clear things up on Friday with a home win against the Bozen/Bolzano team in the penultimate round.