Saturday, 15. August 2026 |
Pre-Season | Mountfield HK vs EC Red Bull Salzburg
After falling behind early, Benjamin Nissner tied the game eight seconds before the first intermission. No further goals were scored in either regulation or overtime; in the shootout, T.J. Melancon sealed the victory for the home team.
Game Summary
The Red Bulls got off to a strong start despite being without Nick Poisson, Lukas Hörl, Luca Kogler, Mathias Böhm, Thomas Raffl, and Jacob Schnabl. Peter Schneider had an early chance to take the lead after a pass from Benjamin Nissner (1st minute), but was denied by Mountfield goaltender Stanislav Škorvánek. Debutant Nikita Bloch tried his luck from a tight angle (3rd minute), and Maximilian Wurzer missed the far corner after a pass from Ali Wukovits (8th minute). Mountfield defended tightly, remained dangerous on quick transitions, and took the lead in the 15th minute: Ales Jergl broke through on the wing and Graeme McCormack converted the cross-ice pass to make it 1–0. Shortly before the break, the Red Bulls pressed for the equalizer; Michael Raffl first hit the post and then laid the rebound off to Benjamin Nissner, who scored to make it 1–1 with eight seconds left in the period (20th minute).
The home team opened the second period with a flurry of pressure, but Tolvanen prevented them from regaining the lead, and the Red Bulls were able to break free. At the other end, Adrian Gesson had a shot on goal (23rd minute). An open back-and-forth battle ensued with chances on both sides; Ales Jergl was denied by Tolvanen from close range (26th minute). On their first power play, the Red Bulls established themselves in the home team’s zone and looked to score from every angle, but were unable to find the net (32nd minute). Back at full strength, both teams applied further pressure; Škorvánek made a last-second save against Luca Auer (38th minute), leaving the second period scoreless.
The final period began with both teams evenly matched, each trying to force the other’s defense into mistakes, with Mountfield increasingly relying on the high man. In their first penalty kill, the Red Bulls defended compactly and even had a chance to score on the shorthanded play. After that, the game remained open, with quick changes in direction testing the goalies on both sides. Adrian Gesson broke through on a breakaway but was denied at the last second (53rd minute). At the other end, the home team created further chances but squandered clear scoring opportunities with inaccurate passes. In the closing minutes, Salzburg increasingly took the initiative, with Benjamin Nissner testing Škorvánek once more (60th minute). The score remained 1–1, sending the game into overtime.
In overtime, Mountfield pulled their goalie early and tried to force a decision with an extra skater, but the Red Bulls defended tightly. In the final minute of the game, the Salzburg team was also forced to play shorthanded, defending a five-on-three situation. EC Red Bull Salzburg held firm, so the game went to a shootout. There, T.J. Melancon scored the decisive penalty shot, securing the home victory for Mountfield.
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Statement by Head Coach Alan Letang
“I think we took a significant step forward today compared to our first game. Overall, we were sharper, our execution was cleaner, and we had more energy right from the start. We created some very good scoring chances and did a lot of things right defensively as well. I liked how we played and how the different lines worked together. Now it’s about continuing to work on the details and the special teams and taking the next step. We’re expecting intense games at the Red Bulls Salute, and we’re looking forward to that challenge.”
Pre-season game | Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
Mountfield HK - EC Red Bull Salzburg 2:1 (1:1, 0:0, 0:0, 0:0) SO
Goals:
1:0 | 14:37 | Graeme McCormack
1:1 | 19:52 | Benjamin Nissner
2:1 | 65:00 | T.J. Melancon | SO
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