Game Summary
The Red Bulls dominated the opening phase and, with only a few forays by the visitors, established themselves in the offensive zone. The first shots posed no problem for Graz goalie Maxime Lagace; Thomas Raffl fired a shot from the slot without hesitation (6th minute), and Mario Huber fired just over the net from a sharp angle (10th minute). Peter Schneider skated through the defense and tried a backhand shot (15th minute). Brandon Coe's chance on the 3-on-2 was a good one (16th minute), and the Red Bulls continued to press. In the final minutes, Graz also became active and dangerous. Josh Currie fired a shot from just a few meters in front of Salzburg goalie Atte Tolvanen (18th minute). Peter Schneider capped off the scoreless first period with a powerful wrist shot around the net (20th minute). Salzburg had the upper hand in terms of possession, but nothing to show for it.
The second period was a closely contested affair with good scoring opportunities for both sides. Thomas Raffl capitalized on a one-timer from the slot after a clean setup by Peter Schneider to give Salzburg the lead (24th minute). Atte Tolvanen then made a brilliant save on Kevin Roy's one-timer right in front of the net (27th minute). However, Michael Schiechl tied the game on a rebound during the power play (29th minute). A chaotic scramble in the Graz crease almost led to another goal, but Maxime Lagace made a crucial save (32nd minute). Graz then took the lead when Marcus Vela deflected the puck in a scramble to make it 2-1 (32nd minute). Atte Tolvanen then stopped Paul Huber's breakaway (37th minute). Dennis Robertson missed a chance to tie the game from the slot (38th minute). After 40 minutes, the visitors led 2-1.
After the intermission, Salzburg struggled to find their rhythm, as Graz disrupted their play effectively and prevented them from establishing any organized offensive flow. There was a lot of back-and-forth action in the neutral zone, which only benefited the visitors. But Salzburg fought back, and Lucas Thaler scored the equalizer on the second rebound during a massive attack (48th minute). However, Graz regained the lead with a deflected shot right in front of the net from Lukas Kainz (51st minute). The Red Bulls then increased their shooting pace and put the visitors under considerable pressure. But the risk didn't pay off, as the visitors scored twice more into the empty net, handing the Red Bulls a 2-5 defeat.
