After the spectacular 7:6 overtime victory of the HC TIWAG Innsbruck Haie against leaders Olimpija Laibach, head coach Ryan Kinasewich is faced with a difficult decision. Because: Matt Wilkins is back!
The 34-year-old Canadian, the team’s top scorer in preseason, is ready to play again after his injury. But this creates a luxury problem: With Wilkins, the Haie would have eleven Legionnaires in the squad – but according to ICEHL regulations, only ten foreigners are allowed to be used per game. This means that Kinasewich will have to put an import player in the stands for the upcoming games against Fehérvár (H) and Salzburg (A).
Lattner: “We showed that we can beat anyone”
After the success in Slovenia, captain Jan Lattner was proud of his team’s performance: “The victory was a product of will, fighting spirit and a better power play.” After the last missed chances in Carinthia, things worked out much better this time – three goals in the majority were crucial for the away success. “Using these opportunities must continue to be our aim in the future,” said the 35-year-old Czech. “And we saw that if we work hard, we can win against any team in the league.”
Defensively more stable – fans should see progress
Despite conceding six goals, Kinasewich sees progress: “We had more stability in Laibach – even if that sounds strange with six goals conceded.” Against the offensively strong top team, Innsbruck showed itself to be more compact and strong in combat. They now want to confirm this upward trend on Friday against Fehérvár at home before the away game in Salzburg.
Image: HCI/PAPA Productions
