Tomorrow, Sunday, the Vienna Capitals will host the Moser Medical Graz99ers in the STEFFL Arena. For the Viennese, who were able to take eight points from the last four games despite major injury concerns, it is important, among other things, to continue this series of points against the Styrians. As part of the duel against Graz, the Kids Day presented by Dreh & Trink will take place in the STEFFL Arena. The game therefore starts at 4.30 p.m. The game can be seen on linear TV on ORF 1. There are also live streams via ORF ON and sporteurope.tv.
Before Saturday’s games, the Vienna Capitals are in seventh place in the table with 13 points. Yesterday’s point win against EC Red Bull Salzburg was the fourth game in a row from which the Viennese were able to take at least one point. During this period there were two wins after 60 minutes against HC TIWAG Innsbruck (4:1) and league leaders Olimpija Ljubljana (3:1) and two overtime defeats against HC Falkensteiner Pustertal (4:5) and Salzburg (3:4).
The Capitals showed off big in special teams situations yesterday. The Viennese scored two power play goals, added one goal when they were outnumbered and held themselves harmless in seven outnumbered situations. With their goals yesterday, Carter Souch and Sam Antonitsch took the lead in the team’s internal top scorer ranking. Both attackers stop at four hits each. Antonitsch only needed nine games in the Caps jersey to achieve the same number of goals as in the previous regular season in the service of tomorrow’s opponent from Graz. Goalkeeper Sebastian Wraneschitz has played a huge part in the Capitals’ current points streak. The 23-year-old was in Vienna’s goal in three of the last four games. In the current regular season, Wraneschitz has a catch rate of 93.13 percent, the best value of all goalkeepers who played more than three league games.
The personnel situation continues to be tense
There will be no relief in the tense personnel situation tomorrow. With Jérémy Grégoire, Felix Koschek, Benjamin Lanzinger, Senna Peeters and Leon Wallner, five strikers are missing again tomorrow.
The past games for the Moser Medical Graz99ers didn’t go quite as planned. The Murstadt team, who started the season with great ambitions, only took four points from the last three games against HC TIWAG Innsbruck, Pioneers Vorarlberg and FTC-Telekom. There was a shootout defeat against the Tyroleans. The overtime success against Vorarlberg was followed by an overtime defeat against the Hungarians.
The Graz team recorded their last win after 60 minutes on September 26th against EC-KAC (3:2). While the Capitals are the third-best team in the win2day ICE Hockey League with an efficiency of 12.02 percent, only 8.87 percent of all Graz shots landed in the opponent’s goal. With eleven points (2 goals + 9 assists), defender Nick Bailen is currently the Styrians’ top scorer. Chris Collins leads the team in goalscoring with five goals. In the previous season, three of the four games between the Caps and the 99ers went to Graz.
Statement Sam Antonitsch, attacker of the Vienna Capitals
“My start with the Vienna Capitals went great. Playing ice hockey at home is something special. I’ve settled in well with the team, the fans in Vienna are amazing. Things can’t be going better for me at the moment. I think that Graz has strengthened well again. They are very strong on offense and have a good goalie. The first duel is always exciting, after that we usually know more, but we’re good for the game set. The anticipation for tomorrow is great. It’s always fun when you play against your former team, especially in your new home. With our spectators behind us the game will definitely be easier for us. I’m really looking forward to it.”
www.vienna-capitals.at, Image: HCI / PAPA Productions
