Monthly report card: The completely different face of the HCB players

HC Bozen played 9 games in March, losing 4 and winning 5. The value is at best average - just like the performances of some players in coach Greg Ireland's lineup. Others, especially those from the old guard, pulled the trigger just in time for the post season and showed their true colors. All Foxes in the individual review. GOALKEEPER Leland Irving: 8 He had 193 shots on goal in the playoffs and only let 13 pass - an above-average value that clearly shows that Irving can also be relied on in the post season. What's more: The Canadian could tip the scales in the title race, provided that small mistakes, like the one on Tuesday in Game 2 of the semi-final series against Vienna, remain absolute exceptions.

Justin Fazio: 6 Was only allowed to play in the meaningless second round game against Klagenfurt AC in March. Although he blocked 91,7% of the shots, he also let the puck bounce dangerously several times. Matt Fraser used one of these rebounds to make the final score 3-2 in favor of the guests. That doesn't change the fact that the HCB has a solid backup in Fazio should Irving be unavailable in the coming games.

Leland Irving and Justin Fazio provide maximum support as the goalie team. © V. Antonello

DEFENSE Dylan Di Perna: 6,5 Due to injury, he only played 3 games in the entire month of March. His absence was clearly noticeable and shows what remarkable development the 24-year-old has made. The 1,90 meter lanky man, who seemed sedate and sometimes even clumsy at the start of the season, is now an important component of Bolzano's defense, and not just because of his physicality.

Gleason Fournier: 7,5 The man with the elegant running style and the brilliant overview of the game has prepared 9 goals in the last 5 games and has repeatedly given a decisive boost to the offensive game, while at the same time he has only very rarely lost targets. We think: The Canadian can do even more!

Matteo Pietroniro: 6,5 The young Italian-Canadian is the crack in the three defensive blocks who usually gets the least ice time. Even though he has become a little braver recently and has been more robust in duels, the 22-year-old's primary role is to give Bolzano's top defenders the essential breather they need on the bench.

Nick Plastino: 8 The long-time Swiss legionnaire stepped it up a notch at the start of the playoffs and resumed his leadership role after an interim low in February. With two goals and an assist, the veteran initiated the turnaround in the quarter-finals in a 2-7 win in Game 2 in Bratislava. He has the best plus-minus statistics (+2) at the HCB.

Dennis Robertson: 8,5 At the beginning of March, the workhorse's previously outstanding season seemed to be taking its toll. Over the course of several games, Robertson only made a slight impact, but then he hit the big time with a fantastic goal against Vienna. He had previously recorded a significant increase in form against Bratislava. This Robertson remains a weapon!

Ivan Tauferer: 7,5 The 26-year-old had no trace of his three-month injury break. He delivers full physical effort, impresses with good positional play and a marginal error rate. Currently a minor injury setback, but the comeback is already in sight. Coach Greg Ireland appreciates Rittner's growing reliability and thinks highly of him - rightly so, in our opinion.

Ben Youds: 6,5 3 measly goal contributions in 41 games are far too few, even for a stay-at-home defender like him. In terms of playmaking, there has to be a lot more coming from a man who spent most of his career in the AHL and the top Swedish league. However, it should be noted: Youds seems much more present in this crucial phase of the season. Let's hope he saved the best for last. ATTACK Domenic Alberga: 6 The playmaker was eliminated in the quarter-finals against Bratislava due to injury, but until then he remained largely inconspicuous in March. His absence may not have an impact on the Foxes' goal tally, but it will have an impact on the balance and solidity in the two back offensive lines. His physical style of play would be so important right now in the playoffs.

Anthony Bardaro: 6 His performances continue to fluctuate and are still not comparable to those he showed last season. This led to him being temporarily moved to the fourth line. With a double pack, his third of the season, and 3 assists, he also flashed his goal threat in March.

Anton Bernard: 8,5 The captain has been extremely important in penalty killing over the past few months, but otherwise remained pale. This changed suddenly at the start of the playoffs: in the quarter-finals he put three scorer points on paper, then followed the remarkable “can opener” in the opener against Vienna. Even off the ice, he looks much more dominant in this hot phase than he did just a few weeks before.

Anton Bernard is in top form. © V. Antonello

Daniel Catenacci: 7 The Italian-Canadian only scored 2 goals in March (there were no fewer in any other month), but he is incredibly important for the Foxes' game. He has the ability to get to the goal, sets the scene for his teammates precisely and puts the opponent under constant pressure with a lot of physical effort. Recently he has also been much more disciplined in crucial phases of the game.

Ivan Deluca: 6,5 He only returned in mid-March after a month-long break due to a shoulder injury, but was immediately an important alternative for coach Greg Ireland when he suffered from offensive losses. Deluca does a lot of dirty work in the attacking third, but needs to continue to work on his goal threat.

Brett Findlay: 9 He is Bolzano's most important man! With his genius and his puck security, he is good for an element of surprise in every phase of the game. It doesn't matter that the Canadian takes short breaks every now and then and doesn't use his bag of tricks for every shift. With his goals he clearly left his mark on the quarter-final series against Bratislava.

Daniel Frank: 7,5 What was intended as an experiment has long been firmly anchored in the lineup: Frank has his appropriate role in the high-scoring line with Findlay and Gazley. The 3 strikers complement each other perfectly, with the Meraner taking on a lot of the work in the corners for his brilliant partners. At the same time, Frank could benefit even more from this line composition in the form of scorer points (only 3 in March).

Luca Frigo: 7 His assessment could easily be repeated from month to month; it could hardly be more consistent than the Piedmontese, who have long since become at home in South Tyrol. He only rarely comes into the limelight, such as his winning goal in Game 4 against Bratislava, but his reliability and commitment are hard to beat.

Dustin Gazley: 8 The top scorer has had better weeks than those in March, in which he recorded 6 of his total 50 points. With his acceleration and his technique, he can break down entire defensive blocks in no time and ensure numerical superiority in the attacking third within fractions of a second. After a minor knee injury, his comeback is longed for.

Stefano Giliati: 7 The lively Canadian was allowed to play in the parade block for one game each against Bratislava and Vienna, but only made limited use of this opportunity. Although he provided more playfulness than Bardaro before, he remained too harmless in the end. This picture continued throughout the month, in which Giliati didn't score a single goal. Nevertheless, his qualities remain of great importance for the Bolzano game.

Mike Halmo: 8 In the duel with Vienna, the enfant terrible is still without a scorer point. However, his importance cannot be measured by statistics, because Halmo creates space for his teammates, goes where it hurts and teases with the usual ice hockey trash talk, but above all his technique makes him very difficult for opponents to control.

Marco Insam: 8 Similar to Bernard, a clear upward trend can be seen with his line partner as the playoffs begin. Insam goes forward with full physical effort, encourages his teammates and gets more involved in the offensive game. In the second round he ended an eleven-week goal drought against Vienna, and a week later he scored again in Bratislava. It can carry on like this!

Angelo Miceli: 8,5 The Angelo Miceli from 2021 cannot be compared to the one that fans saw on TV before the turn of the year. He went from being a follower to becoming a top performer who sometimes seems a bit playful, but creates brilliant moments with his stick handling and puck control. In this form he is indispensable for Italy at the World Cup.

Simon Pitschieler: 6 The youngster sometimes seems a bit impetuous, but it is precisely his carefree attitude that increases his value as a joker. At the beginning of the month he was allowed on the ice regularly, but in the playoffs his playing time quickly dwindled to zero. It doesn't matter: if he continues to work with so much commitment, he should be assured of a future at HCB. He has the talent for it.

Not rated: Karl Stollery (not used)

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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Monthly report card: The completely different face of the HCB players

For almost the entire season they were just followers in the great HCB Südtirol Alperia squad, but now they have suddenly been transformed. The focus of our large monthly report is on this handful of players. At the same time, the grades show: There are also clear losers at the Foxes.

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