Friday, 16. October 2026 |
Red Bulls vs. Steinbach Black Wings Linz
In an emotionally charged encounter played before more than 3,100 spectators, the Red Bulls—despite a strong start—fell behind shortly before the end of the first period. In the second period, the highly efficient visitors scored three times, effectively sealing the outcome early on, even though the Red Bulls left everything they had on the ice. Ultimately, they were thwarted by a stout Linz defense and conceded two further goals, resulting in a decisive defeat against the Upper Austrians. The result also brought an end to a long-standing trend, as it marked the first time in ten games that Linz had secured a victory in Salzburg.
Next Home Game
On 21 October vs. Olimpija Ljubljana | 19:15 Uhr
Match Progress
Things heated up immediately, with both sides committing fully to every challenge. The visitors initially applied more pressure on David Kickert’s goal, but the game soon leveled out. Nash Nienhuis tested Linz goaltender Martin Reder with a shot from the slot (7th minute), followed by Nick Poisson, who fired just wide from mid-range (9th minute). Salzburg began to exert more pressure, successfully intercepting Linz’s forays into their defensive zone. However, in such a tight contest, clear-cut scoring opportunities remained scarce. Christoph Tialler had the best chance for the visitors (13th minute), but David Kickert made the save. Shortly after, Michael Raffl arrived a fraction of a second too late to convert a rebound near the post (14th minute). The battle for every inch of ice continued; while Michael Raffl tried his luck with a rebound right in front of the net in the final minute, it was Trenton Bliss who found the opening from mid-range—threading the puck through heavy traffic in front of the Salzburg goal. After a hard-fought opening period, Linz held a 1–0 lead.
Following the break, the visitors quickly extended their advantage. When Benjamin Nissner’s stick snapped in the defensive zone, Linz capitalized immediately, with Graham Knott scoring after being set up perfectly (22nd minute). The action continued at a rapid pace: Brian Lebler unleashed a well-screened shot (27th minute), followed by an attempt from Lukas Hörl from the blue line. Salzburg’s best opportunity up to that point came via a swift 3-on-1 breakaway involving Nash Nienhuis and Peter Hochkofler (29th minute). Shortly thereafter, Graham Knott—fresh out of the penalty box following a Linz penalty kill—was sent through on a breakaway and scored to put the visitors up 3–1 (32nd minute). Salzburg kept pushing forward, with Mathias Böhm getting a look on goal while skating at full speed from the left-center position (37th minute). But shortly thereafter, Linz struck again; Oskar Maier extended the lead to 4–0, which held until the end of the second period (40 minutes).
Salzburg fought to avoid defeat but struggled to create quality scoring chances, as they found it difficult to overcome both the tall opposing goaltender and the tightly-packed Linz defensive lines. Even during a sustained power play (beginning at the 46-minute mark), the puck simply refused to go in. The visitors kept the pressure on and capitalized on another opportunity just as a power play of their own expired: Jan Grüllenberger scored with a one-timer right in front of the net (53rd minute), and shortly after, Brady Shaw extended the lead to 6–0 with a shot from mid-range (54th minute). Despite their best efforts, Salzburg had no answer left and ultimately had to accept a decisive defeat.
Statement from Peter Schneider
"Right now, nothing is coming together. We aren't solid defensively, and we’re far too imprecise in the attacking zone. Our passes aren't connecting, and we’re losing our one-on-one battles. I know that no one in the locker room is giving up, but at the moment, simply nothing is working."
win2day ICE Hockey League
EC Red Bull Salzburg – Steinbach Black Wings Linz 0:6 (0:1, 0:3, 0:2)
Goals:
0:1 | 19:48 | Trenton Bliss
0:2 | 21:20 | Graham Knott
0:3 | 31:19 | Graham Knott
0:4 | 37:40 | Oskar Maier
0:5 | 52:00 | Jan Grüllenberger
0:6 | 53:16 | Brady Shaw | PP
Attendance: 3,106
Next Home Game
win2day ICE Hockey League
On 21 October vs. Olimpija Ljubljana
Eisarena Salzburg | 7.15 p.m.
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