Salzburg meets Székesfehérvár in the final – series starts on Tuesday, April 5th
The opponent of EC Red Bull Salzburg in the playoff final of the Ice Hockey League is called Székesfehérvár. The Hungarians clinched their fourth win in the fifth semi-final against Villach and are in the finals of the international professional league for the first time in the club’s history. The Red Bulls, who secured their place in the final on Wednesday with four straight victories against the Vienna Capitals, are also Austrian champions for the ninth time, as they are the last remaining Austrian team in the competition.
As the winners of the regular season, the Red Bulls have first home advantage. The final kicks off on Tuesday, April 5, at 7:45 p.m. in the Salzburg Eisarena. Then the “Best of 7” series continues in a home-away rhythm.
Salzburg’s head coach Matt McIlvane: “The Hungarians had a very strong power play in the playoffs. The penalty-killing was also the basis for their success.” The Red Bulls won the direct season duel with Hydro Fehérvár AV19, who finished third in the regular season, with 3:1 victories, although the results were quite unusual. While the Red Bulls celebrated a narrow 4-3 shootout away away at the end of November, the highest win of the season followed in Salzburg in mid-December with 8-2. In the last regular season game, the Red Bulls lost 3-2 in Székesfehérvár on February 20.
The two teams only met once in the playoffs. In the 2018/19 season, the Red Bulls won the quarter-finals 4-2, but they still remember the charged playoff atmosphere in Székesfehérvár. It also went into extra time twice, in which everyone was able to prevail once.
The other games: Thursday, April 7, in Székesfehérvár (time tbc); Saturday, April 9th, in Salzburg (time to be announced); Monday, April 11, in Székesfehérvár (time to be announced); Wednesday, April 13, 7:45 p.m., in Salzburg (if necessary); Saturday, April 16, in Székesfehérvár (if necessary/time to be announced); Monday, April 18, 7:45 p.m., in Salzburg (if necessary). − redYou can also read the PNP print edition from Monday, April 4, 2022 – including the Südwestbayerische Rundschau and the Freilassinger Anzeiger.