The Situation
Once again, the Red Bulls—currently seventh in the standings—must face the team sitting in second place. Just yesterday, the Red Bulls secured a 4–1 victory in Ljubljana; meanwhile, Linz also won their match in Vienna, leapfrogging the Slovenians into second place—and they are now even tied on points with the league leaders, Bolzano! Salzburg is therefore facing another high-stakes clash, and not just because of the current standings.
Memories are still very fresh: on October 16, the Red Bulls suffered a 0–6 home defeat against the Black Wings Linz. That result not only brought an abrupt end to a long-standing winning streak for Salzburg against the Upper Austrians on home ice, but it also triggered a coaching change for the Red Bulls. Since then, however, things have been on the upswing in Salzburg—the deck has been reshuffled.
Linz Showing Few Signs of Weakness; Red Bulls on the Rise
As they meet for the second time this season, both teams are brimming with confidence. The Black Wings Linz have enjoyed an almost flawless regular season, keeping them near the top of the table for some time now. Their 2–7 loss in Klagenfurt—their final game before the international break on November 1st—can likely be dismissed as a mere slip-up.
Salzburg, too, has gained significant momentum since the coaching change. With six wins in their last seven games, they are now knocking on the door of the top six—a position that guarantees direct qualification for the playoffs. Excitement is guaranteed; in the Red Bulls' recent visits to Linz, wins and losses have alternated with remarkable regularity.
Will special teams tip the scales?
Following yesterday’s 4–1 victory in Ljubljana, Salzburg head coach Teemu Levijoki praised the team’s compact defensive play, as well as their performance on the power play and penalty kill—highlighted by two power-play goals and a 90-second stretch where they successfully defended a 5-on-3 disadvantage without conceding. Nevertheless, with a 73% success rate, the Red Bulls still have the league’s weakest penalty kill. Linz, by comparison, ranks eighth at 81.4%.
On the other hand, the Red Bulls have the edge when it comes to the power play; with a 25.4% conversion rate, they currently rank fourth in the league. Linz sits in sixth place at 19.4%.
Personnel Update
For the derby against Linz, defenseman Olivier Galipeau returns from injury, and Ali Wukovits is also available once again. Conversely, Fredrik Claesson—who sustained a lower-body injury in Ljubljana yesterday—will be sidelined tomorrow, joining Peter Schneider and Florian Baltram, both of whom remain out for the long term. Further details are expected following a medical examination today.
