Game Summary
In their away game in Ljubljana, the Red Bulls had to do without the recovering Peter Hochkofler, Dennis Robertson, and Florian Baltram, as well as the suspended Tyler Lewington, and forward Niki Kraus, who received a two-game suspension following his game misconduct penalty in the previous game against Székesfehérvár.
After a fast-paced, evenly matched start with few scoring opportunities for either side, Jan Drozg put the home team in the lead. His one-timer from close range was difficult for Salzburg goaltender Atte Tolvanen to see (5th minute). Peter Schneider then made Salzburg's first attempt on goal with a quick break through two defensemen and a well-placed shot (9th minute). Tolvanen was then kept busier, making two good saves on the penalty kill. Only in the final minutes did the Red Bulls push forward again and enjoy more possession, but they lacked the necessary cutting edge on several promising offensive plays. Peter Schneider had another good opportunity in the half-high slot (19th minute), but his shot was saved by Luka Kolin, who had taken over in goal for the injured Lukas Horak.
Michael Raffl almost equalized with a backhand shot in the second period (24th minute). After the intermission, the Red Bulls initially controlled the game through their offensive play and an early power play. Lucas Thaler's good shot immediately after the face-off couldn't surprise Luka Kolin, but shortly afterward, Devante Stephens fired a shot from distance that found the back of the net past everyone (30th minute). However, the Slovenians then capitalized on one of their few chances up to that point, with Nicolai Meyer scoring from a sharp angle to restore the home team's lead (34th minute). This spurred the Slovenians back into the offensive zone. Suddenly, Salzburg's defensive zone was under pressure, and Jan Drozg was quickest to grab a rebound, scoring to give Ljubljana a 3-1 lead at the 40-minute intermission.
Michael Raffl again had a chance after intercepting a cross-ice pass with great vision, scoring on a breakaway (45th minute). Salzburg tried to take control of the game but rarely managed good scoring opportunities because the Slovenians kept the space in front of their net tight and waited for counter-attacking chances. After a nice combination, the angle was too tight for Michael Raffl (50th minute). The game was now end-to-end again, and then Jan Drozg scored his third goal of the day right in front of the net, effectively sealing the victory (52nd minute). No matter what the Red Bulls tried, the Slovenians had an answer, and Nik Simsic sealed Salzburg's defeat with a one-timer from the mid-slot (53rd minute). Even though the Red Bulls continued to give their all in the hard-fought match, it wasn't enough, and in the end, the Red Bulls left Ljubljana empty-handed in their second visit.
