The EC-KAC had to accept another defeat on Tuesday after four away wins in a row and a total of seven matches in a row with point wins: The red jackets documents at the Bratislava Capitals after a largely disappointing performance with 2: 6. In the table, the Klagenfurters fell back to fifth place, even though both teams immediately ahead of him have already played one more game each.
Duel against HC Innsbruck
The defending champion already dueled twice with HC Innsbruck in the still young season, both at home in mid-September (6: 2) and away at the beginning of October (6: 3), the EC-KAC was able to prevail. HC Innsbruck has seen a veritable increase in form in the past few weeks: Since the 3-6 home defeat against Klagenfurt on October 3rd, the Haie have won six of seven league games. Most recently, Head Coach Mitch O’Keefe’s team clinched four wins in a row, the youngest on Tuesday against the Dornbirn Bulldogs on their own ice, when five HCI hits in the final section turned a 1: 2 deficit into a 6: 3 victory . The Tyroleans have performed very well away from home, with the exception of defeats at EC-KAC, five of the seven matches being won abroad.
The balance speaks in favor of red jackets
The record champions won each of the last three duels between HC Innsbruck and EC-KAC by three or four goals difference. Overall, the historical record speaks for the Carinthians: Klagenfurt won 69 of the 115 direct encounters. On their own ice, the Red Jackets have played very successfully against the Haie in the past, with 44 wins from 58 confrontations. The Tyroleans were able to inflict bitter defeats again and again on the EC-KAC in the town hall when they were prepared: Remember the 0: 4 losses in 2016 and 2018 or the 1: 4 in the penultimate HCI contest in the Carinthian state capital December of the previous year.