Sunday, 08. October 2023 |
Red Bulls fight for CHL playoff in Northern IrelandA full rink is expected in Belfast // Champions Hockey LeagueEC Red Bull Salzburg will play the away game in Northern Ireland against the Belfast Giants (8:00 p.m., ORF TVthek) next Tuesday, October 10, in the Regular Season of the Champions Hockey League.The Red Bulls have three points after four games so far and want to score as much as possible in Belfast to stay in the race for a playoff spot.
Livestream: ORF TVthek
The starting position
After a difficult start to the CHL 2023/24 with three losses against Skellefteå AIK, Adler Mannheim and ERC Ingolstadt, the Red Bulls fully registered in the fourth game of the Regular Season at home against the Stavanger Oilers and are holding on to 18th place in the overall standings of 32 teams; the first 16 teams advance to the knockout round, starting with the Round of 16. The Red Bulls need every point they can get in the final two rounds - the sixth and final game of the regular season comes on Oct. 17 in Salzburg against the Lahti Pelicans - to clinch the playoff spot they are seeking.
The same goes for the Belfast Giants. The Northern Irish have also scored once with a 4-0 home win against HCB Südtirol Alperia. Both teams need a win to keep their playoff chances alive, but the Giants have the home advantage.
The opponent
The Northern Ireland-based club was founded in 2000 and has won seven national titles since then. Last season, the Giants clearly underlined their No. 1 position on the island and clinched the first treble in the club's history - Challenge Cup Champions, Elite League Champions and Elite League Playoff Champions. The Northern Irish have also made a flawless start to the new season with four wins in four matches in the Challenge Cup.
Head coach Adam Keefe's squad - the 39-year-old Canadian has been on the Belfast bench since 2017 - has an average age of almost 28 and is made up of half North Americans (eight Canadian, six US). Only ten players are from the island, joined by two Italians and one Japanese. The average age of the Red Bulls is 26.8 years.
The English champions are in the CHL for the third time this year, but just like last season, they have not made it past the group stage. In the current regular season, the Giants won their only home game so far 4-0 against Bolzano on September 9, supported by 6,130 fans at the 7,500-capacity SSE Arena.
The Red Bulls are already in their eighth CHL season and have also reached the playoffs each time. For the first meeting with Belfast, Salzburg's Head Coach Oliver David can rely on the complete squad, also Tim Harnisch and Paul Stapelfeldt have reported fit again.
Defender Dennis Robertson
"I expect a game on eye level, the Belfast Giants have beaten Bolzano clearly and they also have a successful recent history. In addition, they have many North American players in their ranks, so we expect a fast and physical game. It will also depend on who is mentally stronger in the fight for important CHL points. It is definitely an important game for us and we are already very excited about it."
Champions Hockey League
Belfast Giants – EC Red Bull Salzburg
Tue, 10.10.2023; The SSE Arena, 8 pnm.
ORF TVthek, time-delayed on ORF Sport+
Champions Hockey League | Regular Season
01.09.23 | Skellefteå AIK – EC Red Bull Salzburg 4:0 (1:0, 2:0, 1:0)
03.09.23 | Adler Mannheim – EC Red Bull Salzburg 3:2 (1:0, 2:0, 0:2)
07.09.23 | EC Red Bull Salzburg – ERC Ingolstadt 1:2 (0:0, 1:2, 0:0)
09.09.23 | EC Red Bull Salzburg – Stavanger Oilers 5:2 (0:0, 4:0, 1:2)
10.10.23 | Belfast Giants – EC Red Bull Salzburg | 8 p.m.
17.10.23 | EC Red Bull Salzburg – Lahti Pelicans | 8.20 p.m.
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