After yesterday’s important win against Budapest, the Steinbach Black Wings Linz are traveling to Pustertal today. Tomorrow the Stahlstadters will meet the Wolves there for the last time in the regular season and will once again be challenged to improve their away record.
The Steinbach Black Wings celebrated an important 5-1 win against FTC Budapest yesterday and thus collected valuable points in the duel for the top 10. The Upper Austrians want to carry this momentum into tomorrow’s game against the Pustertal Wölfe. The South Tyroleans are currently in sixth place in the table with 60 points. Although the Wolves started the current season well, they had to accept a six-game losing streak since December. Among other things, head coach Jason Jaspers’ team lost to the bottom teams from Innsbruck and Vorarlberg.
It was only last Sunday, against the reigning champions from Salzburg, that the Wolves found their way back to winning ways. At home in the Intercable Arena, the South Tyroleans are extremely strong. In the current season they have already left the ice as winners eleven times and have only had to admit defeat six times. A major strength throughout the entire season is the offense: with 122 goals, the Wolves have one of the most dangerous attack lines in the league. The defense was also mostly stable with 97 goals conceded.
The Wolves’ special teams also impress with a power play efficiency of 23.47% and a penalty killing of 82.64%. The most dangerous player is Cole Bardreau with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists). Edward Pasquale is the clear number one between the posts. In 30 games played so far, the Canadian has impressed with a catch rate of 90.51%. The Stahlstadters have already met the Wolves three times this season. In the two games at the Linz AG Eisarena, Brian Lebler and Co. prevailed 2-1 after overtime and 3-2 respectively. However, the Wolves celebrated a 4-1 win in Pustertal. Henry Bowlby scored all four goals and currently has 30 scorer points.
Locker room update
The Stahlstadters showed a strong performance against Budapest yesterday and dominated the game for the entire 60 minutes. Defensively, Linz acted consistently and took advantage of their chances in front of the opponent’s goal. Head coach Philipp Lukas’ team once again presented itself as compact and self-confident after the last changeable phase. After the disappointing defeat in Laibach, the Steinbach Black Wings showed one of their most consistent performances. 39 to 16 shots underlined the clear conditions. The Upper Austrians’ special teams also knew how to impress – including a power play goal from Shawn St-Amant. Yohann Auvitu’s castling into the first formation had an effect, and the Stahlstadters were able to act much more dangerously in their attempts to gain the advantage.
But the face of the Steinbach Black Wings is notoriously moody and changeable this season when comparing home and away appearances. While the Linz AG Eisarena has stood its ground as a fortress for the fourth time in a row, it is now time to finally prove this self-confidence abroad. The rest of the program ultimately requires Brian Lebler and Co. to put more of their efforts on the opponent’s ice in the tight battle for the (pre-)playoffs. The people of Linz therefore started the long journey to the Puster Valley this afternoon. Travis Barron had to stay at home because he is still out due to illness. Instead, Jonathan Oschgan got on the bus to the wolves. Martin Reder is also on board as additional security and for a full final training session on Friday.
After the tough away trip, the next top-class home game awaits the Upper Austrians next Sunday. In the fifth match within ten days, the record champions from Klagenfurt are guests at the Linz AG Eisarena.
HC Falkensteiner Pustertal – Steinbach Black Wings Linz
Friday, January 16th, 7:45 p.m., Intercable Arena
www.blackwings.at, Image: Black Wings Linz/Eisenbauer
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