Bolzano's dilemma: Things aren't going well against the big boys yet

If HC Bozen has revealed a weakness so far this season, it is this: On Sunday evening it played against a top 5 team for the eleventh time this season and left the ice as a loser for the sixth time. In the duel with Salzburg, the second-placed team lost 2-3. In the showdown with the in-form Bulls, both teams largely neutralized each other, but the high speed and intensity of the duels provided a small foretaste of playoff ice hockey and also covered up the many small inaccuracies in both teams' play.

In any case, the HC Bozen was, as before the evening before against Fehervar, demanded to the utmost. Unlike the deep-lying Hungarians, Salzburg, who competed without former HCB center Rick Schofield and Germany's U20 World Cup participant Justin Schütz, among others, demanded everything from the Foxes, especially in the backward movement. Ireland's protégés often came a step too late, especially in the early stages - which was particularly evident in the 0-1 defeat. Tim Harnisch enjoyed every bit of freedom in the slot and therefore had no trouble putting Salzburg in the lead with his first professional goal. Bolzano's punishments are taking revenge After the break, Bozen came out of the locker room with significantly more energy and created their first top-class chance through Dan Catenacci. The Italian-Canadian failed in a one-on-one match against JP Lamoureux. The Salzburg goalie, who has been one of the best in his field in the ICE for years, had to accept the 1-1 result a short time later: defender Gleason Fournier elegantly rounded an opponent and finished dryly to equalize. Now Bozen was really in the game and stood up to the Bulls in every duel. Brett Findlay once again provided the clearest accents in the White-Red game, taking the lead for the first time but putting the disc on the goal post.

Anthony Bardaro and the Bolzano strikers had a difficult time. © Vanna Antonello

Shortly after half the game, it was the HCB themselves who took themselves out of the game with a double outnumbered situation. Dominique Heinrich hammers the puck into the net from a distance in the power play, putting the Red Bulls back in the lead. But Bozen was not impressed by this and continued to try to restrict Salzburg in their third. However, this only really succeeded at times in the final third, when Dustin Gazley scored the redeeming 2-2 after several missed chances. It was the North American winger's fourth point in a duel with his former club and at the same time a goal of particular importance for HC Bozen, which has repeatedly revealed weaknesses in the power game in recent weeks.

While the power play worked that evening, there was a problem with the penalty killing - and in a fatal way, because another outnumbered game turned out to be decisive in the final phase. While Nick Plastino was sitting outside, the hitherto extremely inconspicuous John Hughes scored Salzburg's winning goal to make it 3-2. After a poke, he was spot on. In the remaining 44 seconds of the game, Bozen could no longer fight back.

The Foxes don't have much time to fill the sorely needed strength reserves. The next tough test awaits them on Tuesday in the away game in Klagenfurt. HCB Südtirol Alperia – EC Red Bull Salzburg 2:3 HSBC: Bernard (Irving); Fournier-Plastino, Robertson-Di Perna, Pietroniro-Youds; Insam-Catenacci-Bardaro, Frank-Findlay-Gazley, Frigo-Anton Bernard-Miceli, Pitschieler-Alberga-Delcua Coach: Ireland

RBS: Lamoureux (Eliasson); Heinrich-Chorney, Joslin-Zündel, Schreier-Jakubitzka-Harnisch, Viveiros-Palalestrang; Raffl-Baltram-Hughes, Huber-McIntyre-Skille, Harnisch-Leonhardt-Huber, Feldner-Pilloni-Hochkofler Coach: McIlvane

Gates: 0:1 Tim Harnisch (12.02), 1:1 Gleason Fournier (22.25), 1:2 Dominquie Heinrich (34.30), 2:2 Dustin Gazley (48.46), 2:3 John Hughes (59.16) The other results from Sunday: Innsbruck - Graz 6:3 Goals: 1:0 Christoffer (6.14), 1:1 Ograjensek (17.30), 1:2 Grafenthin (18.53), 2:2 Herr (19.25), 3:2 Girard (22.28), 4:2 Gerlach (37.52), 5:2 Herr (47.11), 6:2 Tansey (49.40), 6:3 Oberkofler (57.21) Vienna - Villach 1:2 Goals: 0:1 Pollastrone (19.50), 0:2 Collins (28.07), 1:2 Loney (40.45) Dornbirn - Linz 1:2 Goals: 1:0 Yogan (5.30), 1:1 Lebler (26.45), 1:2 Bartulis (51.57) Klagenfurt - Bratislava 6:1 Goals: 1:0 Ticar (14.55), 2:0 Postma (21.25), 2:1 Bubela (26.48), 3:1 Strong (29.51), 4:1 Koch (36.06), 5:1 Ganahl (48.13), 6:1 Postma (50.08) The table: SP G U V TV P 1. Fehervar 34 22 0 12 117:98 65 2. HCB South Tyrol 29 20 0 9 92:55 62 3. Klagenfurt 30 18 0 12 92:61 57 4. Vienna Capitals 31 19 0 12 97:77 56 5. Salzburg 27 17 0 10 88:70 52 6. Dornbirn 30 15 0 15 82:84 43 7. Graz99ers 30 14 0 16 90:101 41 8. Innsbruck 31 12 0 19 100:111 37 9. Villach 31 12 0 19 70:97 35 10. Bratislava 30 11 0 19 78:106 32 11. Linz 31 7 0 24 60:106 21

ICE Regular Season ICE	SP	TV	P
1. Klagenfurt	47	183:101	102
2. Fehervar	46	146:126	89
3. Salzburg	46	142:107	87
4. HCB South Tyrol	46	137:125	76
5. Linz	46	146:116	75
6. Villach	46	155:136	74
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Bolzano's dilemma: Things aren't going well against the big boys yet

For the first time this season, HCB Südtirol Alperia remains without a point in two consecutive games: Less than 24 hours after the defeat against Fehervar, the Foxes also had to narrowly admit defeat to Red Bull Salzburg after conceding a late goal.

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