In the short best-of-three series against Villach, the Upper Austrians have their backs against the wall after their opening defeat. In the home game tomorrow Friday evening, Linz will be challenged to force game 3 and continue to fight for a place in the playoffs.
Game 1 against VSV could hardly have been more exciting, because the first exchange of blows was only decided in overtime! After 60 hard-fought minutes, Brian Lebler and Co. had to give up the Eagles’ home advantage and return home without success. At the beginning, both teams struggled to find their way into the game, which is why the first half of the game was rather slow on both sides. In the middle third the intensity gradually increased and both teams had good chances. Kevin Hancock hit Linz in the heart with his second goal and secured Villach the match puck for the quarter-finals. This means that in the second duel of the intermediate round, the Steinbach Black Wings Linz are challenged to do even better in front of their own audience.
In the Linz AG Eisarena, the Stahlstadters need a recipe for their continued lukewarm attack attempts. Yesterday, the only goal scored by a defender, Gerd Kragl, was indicative of the tightness of the offensive. 51 shots on goal for the hosts compared to 26 for the Stahlstadt team spoke a clear language. At the other end of the ice, head coach Philipp Lukas’ team can rely on this defensive stability and gain self-confidence from it. However, tomorrow’s hosts will have to be careful to stay out of the penalty box. Because the penalties on the Linz side were once again a big factor in the game and took away valuable strength that was visibly missing in overtime. The Upper Austrians spent a total of 16 minutes in the icebox, which repeatedly opened up opportunities for the Villach team in the power play.
Locker room update
There will be no changes to Linz’s line-up for tomorrow’s game. Jonathan Oschgan also has to sit out Friday due to illness, which is why Luka Maver is once again preferred over Ryan MacKinnon. Accordingly, the Steinbach Black Wings Linz are heading into the most important game of the 2025/26 season with almost full strength. The Linzers need their first home win since the Olympic break and after three defeats in a row in their living room. Tomorrow’s second leg will decide whether there will be game 3 in Carinthia on Sunday.
Tickets for the match at the Linz AG Eisarena are available online at tickets.blackwings.at and at the box office. An additional contingent of seats is also available for this purpose.
50% on all jerseys for subscription owners
There will be a little thank you for all season ticket holders from the regular season at tomorrow’s home game. There is a 50% discount on all jerseys in stock for your loyal support. Please show your subscription card.
Voices:
Head coach Philipp Lukas: “We couldn’t get the momentum back, some line changes got us into problems and we were very busy defending. We were definitely too much in our half and didn’t manage to tip the game our way. Tomorrow it’s going to be the 10%, which I’m sure they’re still in the team. We’re struggling with our scoring, but it has to start with us imposing our game on them and that’s what’s important tomorrow.”
Niklas Würschl: “We didn’t manage to disrupt their attacking game, they spent too much time in our defensive third and at some point there was a lack of energy. I expect us to come out of the locker room aggressive tomorrow. We know what’s at stake and I expect us to do everything we can to finally score more than one goal.”
Steinbach Black Wings Linz – EC iDM heat pumps VSV
📅 Pre-Playoff Game 2: Friday, March 6th, 7:15 p.m., Linz AG Eisarena
📺 Live stream: sporteurope.tv
blackwings.at , Image: VSV/STEFAN
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