Ice hockey can be so bitter! As an outsider, Linz defended itself so bravely against Bozen, forced a game 7 and in this one overtime. In which the winner of the regular season from South Tyrol had the happier end – 3:2. The HCB is in the semi-finals, the season is over for the Black Wings.
Ultimate showdown in Bolzano. It’s 2:2! Renewal! In the first minute, Stefan Gaffal loses the disc on the boards, Gazley drives towards Black Wings goalie Tirronen alone – and after 44 seconds all Linz semi-final dreams are destroyed – 3:2. The season of the Black Wings, which started well, could not have ended more bitterly than in the overtime of decision game 7: Chances of 2:0 followed Bozen-SturmlaufAs Bozen’s imposing fan curve with their insults (“Linz, Linz – vaffanculo”) straight had only just started, the puck was already wriggling in the net of Bolzano goalie Harvey after 23 seconds. A shot from Roe had come in off the blue – 1-0! And it could well have been 2-0 for the Black Wings. Kristler failed to Harvey (9th), St.-Amant missed top chances in the power play and then shortly before the end of the starting section, in which Linz only allowed more towards the end. But before the EHC got into penalty problems in the second third, and Bozen let attack after attack roll towards the Linz gate in front of 5300 fans in the ice wave. And then conceded the 1:1 in their own majority (!) from a Frigo counterattack (38th), after Roe had lost the puck on the blue one. But the guests fought back! Only 34 seconds later, Kristler scored in the power play from the blue – 2:1, huge cheers from hundreds of EHC fans who had traveled with them! Their team favorite Bozen then kept well under control in the final section. Until Gazley appeared in the slot – 2-2 after 54 minutes and a second. “Frustrating! We were so close” before it was Gazley again, who then ended the season of the brave Linzers in overtime. Who were in the lead for a total of 53 minutes of the game and who were only six minutes short of the ultimate sensation of reaching the semi-finals against Salzburg! Coach Phillpp Lukas: “It’s frustrating, we were so close!” Addendum: “But you mustn’t forget that we can still be proud of what we’ve achieved this year!”