Salzburg taught the Black Wings a lesson

“It’s not enough. We can’t really get into duels or get out of our own third,” said Rick Nashheim, the head scout of the Steinbach Black Wings, when the score was 1:3 in the second break. The EHC had a different idea of ​​the third ice hockey quarter-final in Salzburg, where the “Red Bulls” prevailed 5-1 (2-0, 1-1, 2-0). The intensity that characterized the first two duels was missing.

Linz was too passive (only six shots on goal in the first 40 minutes) and let the Mozartstadt team come – which, given their quality, was to take revenge despite the absence of goalgetter Peter Schneider due to injury.

Nothing has happened yet. Salzburg is back in the driver’s seat and travels to Upper Austria on Saturday with a 2-1 lead for the fourth of a maximum of seven matches in this series.

Record champions KAC are also ahead 2-1 against Vorarlberg after an impressive 7-0 home win, HC Bozen Südtirol scored their third win in a row against Villach and will be able to enjoy their first match puck tomorrow. The Black Wings do not look at others, but primarily at their own construction sites. There is a lot to correct. Salzburg seemed much livelier and – pardon the expression – “more goal-oriented”.

In addition, Linz received eight two-minute penalties, three of which were attributed to Patrick Söllinger, who paid a few lessons in his first career play-offs. But something like that is somehow part of the development process of a 19-year-old. In the end it wasn’t decisive for the match.

Despite the tireless support of around 500 battlegoers (among the total of 3,132 fans), everything went right from the start against the Black Wings, who gave up the early momentum of Tuesday’s 3-2 home win.

After just 51 seconds, the puck fidgeted for the first time in goalie Rasmus Tirronen’s box, who didn’t look lucky when he conceded two goals. Troy Bourke – they call him the Cowboy – had sunk a penalty. After 5:30 minutes it was 2-0 for Salzburg, Julian Pusnik’s goal to make it 1-2 (22./pp) was just a flash in the pan.

After that, the “Red Bulls” dictated the action. Captain Thomas Raffl (36th, 55th) and Chay Genoway (45th) made things clear.