Game Summary
Thomas Raffl's pass in front of the net, deflected by Peter Schneider – 1-0 (4th minute). The Red Bulls (without Peter Hochkofler and Travis St. Denis, as well as the suspended Tyler Lewington and Niki Kraus) couldn't have gotten off to a better start. And they quickly added another. Michael Raffl set up Nash Nienhuis beautifully, and he scored from the slot to make it 2-0 (7th minute). But VSV had already woken up by this point, and Joël Teasdale scored in the same minute, finding the top corner to make it 2-1, leaving Salzburg's goalie David Kickert blind. In the ensuing back-and-forth, the Red Bulls had significantly more offensive opportunities, with Lucas Thaler having a great chance from the slot (15th minute). But David Kickert had to be wary of Villach's attacks, as the visitors also came dangerously close to the Salzburg goal several times. 2-1 for the Red Bulls after 20 minutes.
After the break, the Red Bulls laid siege to Joe Cannata's goal. Villach's first offensive move was a solo effort by Elias Wallenta (24th minute), but he was thwarted. The visitors kept pushing, and David Kickert was tested several times. However, it was precisely during this period that Salzburg's Michael Raffl fired a clean shot from the right face-off circle, restoring the two-goal lead (29th minute). The Red Bulls regained control of the game for a while, but the visitors continued to have strong stretches with highly dangerous shots. David Kickert was up to the task. In the final stages, the Red Bulls upped the tempo once again, with Troy Bourke missing a chance to extend the lead after a beautiful passing move, hitting the right post (36th minute).
But the visitors pulled one back in the final period. Adam Helewka capitalized on a Salzburg defensive error and scored from close range (45th minute). Shortly afterward, Guus van Nes embarked on a solo run but was thwarted (47th minute). But Villach pressed on, and once again a defensive lapse by Salzburg allowed the visitors to equalize. Kevin Hancock scored a one-timer right in front of the net (51st minute). Salzburg then launched a furious attack, with Lucas Thaler rattling the crossbar (57th minute). Villach also had chances to score the game-winner. The game went to overtime, scoreless, where the Red Bulls successfully killed off a 3-on-4 penalty kill in the final two minutes. However, the visitors prevailed 2-1 in the shootout, securing the extra point.
