The EC iDM heat pumps set an exclamation mark last weekend. The Draustadt team got off to a strong start to the season and are even sniffing out the top of the table.
After four games, however, the interim results still looked rather sobering: they were able to take four points from the first four games, but after that the team found its feet and was able to deliver convincing performances. VSV won five of the last six games and thus climbed up the table. They are currently in second place with 19 points, just one point behind leader Olimpija Ljubljana.
Legionnaires lead the scorers list
A look at the scorer rating shows that four cracks currently have a strong point-per-game average. The Carinthians are led by Nikita Scherback, who is at the top with five goals (also a team best) and twelve scorer points. Kevin Hancock (11) and Guus van Nes (10) follow in second and third place. Captain Alexander Rauchwald is at the top with eight assists. Also noteworthy: only two defenders currently have minus statistics, albeit small ones. Philipp Lindner and Dylan MacPherson, on the other hand, have a strong +9 – the best in the league!
Goalie rotation is a big plus
Also strong: Rene Swette achieved the first victory after 984 days in Bolzano with a brilliant performance. The Lustenauer was able to win both of his bets and showed a great performance with a catch rate of over 93%. This gives the coaching staff around Tray Tuomie good rotation opportunities.
Herbert Hohenberger is satisfied with the Eagles’ good start: “The coach changed the lines at the right time and the players know what tasks they have to fulfill on the ice. The injured newcomers are back and playing well. The young players around Nico Uschan and Paul Sintschnig are also doing a good job,” said Hohenbeger to the “Small newspaper“. Sintschnig’s “demotion” to the Zeller Eisbären is viewed positively: “He’s a diamond in the rough, we didn’t want to use him two games in a row because we weren’t sure whether he’d be able to do it physically. But from Wednesday he’ll be back with us and also back in the squad against Graz.”
VSV still has five games on the program before the first “international break” of the season. Next weekend there are two home games against Graz and Budapest before going away for three games (Brunico, Innsbruck and Vienna).
Image: VSV/Stefan
