2023-04-16 20:50:24
A goal in the 116th minute defeated Red Bull Salzburg 3: 4 in Bozen – this means the sixth game in the final on Tuesday in the Volksgarten.
That was not for the faint-hearted: Ice hockey champion Red Salzburg lost 4-3 in the third overtime in an almost epic battle of nerves in Bozen on Sunday evening. Matt Frattin scored the decisive goal from a counterattack in the 116th (!) minute. Much would not have been missing and both teams would have played two complete games in the ice wave. But the champion’s cup is also on the road once more, because game six is now taking place on Tuesday in the Salzburg Volksgarten. It’s Salzburg’s second match puck, but you should convert it – nobody would want a possible game seven in Bozen.
Salzburg coach Matt McIlvane was disappointed and proud at the same time: “It was an incredible fight. I’m proud of this team, the way we kept getting back into the game. We would have had many chances to decide in extra time, but unfortunately we didn’t used.”
The game followed game four almost seamlessly: Salzburg was master of the ice and following 15 seconds Thomas Raffl already had the chance to lead. Bozen struggled with Salzburg’s forechecking and it seemed only a matter of time before Salzburg took the lead. Thomas Raffl had the bat once more, Sam Harvey mightn’t hold on to a disc, but Raffl mightn’t get the puck past the South Tyrolean goalkeeper. In return, Bozen made it 1-0 out of nowhere: Ryan Culkin fired, Atte Tolvanen in the Salzburg goal was obstructed and the hosts took the lead with their second shot and completely contrary to the course of the game.
At that point there was already a lot of fire in the game, both teams acted almost at the limit of the permissible hardness – a crashing wall check from Mike Dalhuisen to Paul Huber (19th) was certainly over it.
With almost 7,000 fanatical fans behind them and the 1:0 on the plus side, the Bozen team had their best phase at the beginning of the second third – and now the goal fell on the other side. For the third time it worked for Thomas Raffl: His powerful slap shot hit exactly in the cross corner (28th), although the goalkeeper was supposed to have the short corner. Suddenly, sovereignty was back in Salzburg and now the 200 or so Salzburg fans were also getting in the mood.
As defensive as the previous series were, the events in the final third turned so quickly: Bozen took the lead twice due to two unusual errors by Salzburg. First Dominique Heinrich allowed himself to be carried away to a revenge foul, which resulted in the first power play goal of the whole series by Dustin Gazley, then Salzburg forgot Matt Frattin, who attacked alone – who showed 3: 2 why he had been with the Toronto Maple for many years Leafs has spent. Tolvanen went off the ice two minutes before the end, the Bolzano fans celebrated the supposed victory, but Heinrich made up for his mistake: his dream pass found Benjamin Nissner, who was standing free. 26 seconds before the end, Salzburg was 3-3 behind.
In the extra time, Bozen was first knocked out and then suddenly wide awake once more. Lucas Thaler (RBS) hit the crossbar, then Frattin was unlucky with a shot at the post, a goal by Mike Halmo was disallowed because the goal was postponed. The second longest game in league history was decided following 116 minutes.
Final 2023, game 5
Bolzano – RB Salzburg 4: 3 aet (1: 0, 0: 1, 2: 2/0: 0, 0: 0, 1: 0). Goals: Culkin (10′),
Gazley (47’/PP), Frattin (53′, 116′) or Raffl (28′), Bourke (47′), Nissner (60′). Stand: 2:3 (“best of seven”).
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#thriller #Salzburgs #ice #bulls #stay #detention
