Friday, 21. August 2026 |
Red Bulls Salute | Semifinal
In a closely contested and hard-fought duel between the sister clubs, Munich led 2-0 after 40 minutes. Salzburg turned up the heat in the final period, tied the game at 2-2, and finally secured the victory with a goal from Michael Raffl five seconds before the end of overtime. Nick Poisson and Jayden Lee had previously scored for Salzburg.
The final game on Saturday between EC Red Bull Salzburg and EHC Biel-Bienne will take place at 7:00 PM. HC Dynamo Pardubice and Red Bull Munich will play for third place beforehand (3:00 PM).
Highlights EHC Red Bull München vs. EC Red Bull Salzburg
Match Summary
The match started without much of a feeling-out period. Munich initially had a slight advantage in possession, but this soon evened out. Both teams pressed forward and looked for scoring opportunities. Munich struck with the first clear chance, Yasin Ehliz converting a short breakaway against Salzburg's goaltender Atte Tolvanen to give them the lead (8th minute). Salzburg, for whom Nick Poisson made his debut, then threatened the goal more frequently, but their shots were still too weak for Munich's goalie Mathias Niederberger. Adrian Gesson's shot from the half-high slot, one of the better chances, went just wide (19th minute). After 20 minutes of high-tempo play, Munich took a 1-0 lead into the locker room.
After the break, Salzburg initially took the initiative, with Nikita Bloch having a good opportunity from close range (23rd minute). Munich then came back and created some pressure in front of Atte Tolvanen in the 26th minute, who kept his composure on several rebounds. Salzburg played flawlessly during their first penalty kill, but couldn't break through Munich's defense on the subsequent power play either. The open, back-and-forth game continued with many intense battles. Two minutes before the next intermission, Munich finally capitalized on another power play, with Jeremy McKenna scoring the rebound from a sharp angle to give them a 2-0 lead at the break.
Salzburg got off to another good start. After an intense opening, Michael Raffl fired a one-timer from the slot, but didn't connect cleanly with the puck (43rd minute). Nick Poisson, making his debut for Salzburg, finally broke the deadlock, scoring from the left face-off circle on the power play to make it 2-1 (46th minute). Dennis Robertson almost immediately added another, but his good shot from close range was stopped by Mathias Niederberger (47th minute). Salzburg continued to dominate, maintaining a higher shooting rate. Nash Nienhuis had a clear shot on goal to tie the game (53rd minute). Jayden Lee then scored the equalizer, netting a well-deserved 2-2 goal from mid-range (55th minute). Salzburg played the final four minutes of regulation time on a power play after Munich's Lucas Thaler received a game misconduct penalty, but couldn't capitalize. However, Michael Raffl finished off a shorthanded solo effort with five seconds remaining in overtime, securing Salzburg's place in the finals.
Statement by Alan Letang
"That was definitely a tough game with tough conditions for both teams. But the way our team stuck together was special. It felt like a playoff game. Great credit to all the players for how they found a way to turn the game around in the final period."
Red Bulls Salute 2026
EHC Red Bull Munich – EC Red Bull Salzburg 2:3 (1:0, 1:0, 0:2) OT
Goals
1:0 | 07:17 | Yasin Ehliz
2:0 | 38:00 | Jeremy McKenna | PP
2:1 | 45:38 | Nick Poisson | PP
2:2 | 54:57 | Jayden Lee
2:3 | 64:55 | Michael Raffl | SH
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Post Game Interview Michael Raffl
Red Bulls Salute 2026 | Schedule & Results
Fri, Aug 21, 2026 | Semifinal 1 | EHC Biel-Bienne – HC Dynamo Pardubice 3:2 (0:0, 1:2, 1:0) OT
Fri, Aug 21, 2026 | Semifinal 2 | EHC Red Bull Munich – EC Red Bull Salzburg 2:3 (1:0, 1:0, 0:2) OT
Sat, Aug 22, 2026 | Final | HC Dynamo Pardubice – EHC Red Bull Munich | 3:00 PM
Sat, Aug 22, 2026 | Final: EHC Biel-Bienne – EC Red Bull Salzburg | 7:00 PM
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