EC Red Bull Salzburg got their European Trophy campaign back on track with a 4-3 OT win over Tappara in Lempäälä, Finland.
Playing in the outlying Lempäälä – instead of Tappara’s usual home in Tampere – both teams made an aggressive start to the game and the game was incredibly fast-paced. The first period saw several good opportunities for both sides but ended goalless.
The quick and physical play continued in the second period, and the home team managed to take the lead as two power play goals in the space of a minute left the Red Bulls playing catch-up. Salzburg then responded, creating some good opportunities and taking advantage of a five-on-three power play to close the gap courtesy of Ramzi Abid in the 35th minute. But the Finns struck back just one minute later, scoring a power play goal on another delayed penalty call to secure a 3-1 lead by the end of the period.
GEPA Pictures/Red Bull Photofiles
But with five minutes on the clock in the final period, Manuel Latusa showed spectacular skill to leave two defenders standing and score a merciless goal. Now the Red Bulls were on a roll, and Thomas Koch equalised four minutes later with a powerful long-range shot while on a five-on-three power play.
The Finns then upped the ante, and Salzburg goalie Dan LaCosta had to be on guard to keep his team in the running with some great saves in the last ten minutes, meaning the game went into overtime. The Red Bulls survived another shorthanded period and in the 64th minute Doug Lynch scored Salzburg's fourth goal to pick up the team's first two points of the Regulation Round.
GEPA Pictures/Red Bull Photofiles
Head coach Pierre Pagé joined his team in celebrating Salzburg's first win of the pre-season: "We have come on in leaps and bounds since our first game in Oulu and played a very disciplined game in the first and final periods. We still incurred too many penalties, but the lads made up for it in fighting spirit and were also able to rely on a strong goalie who put in an incredible performance today."
Elsewhere in the Central Division, TPS Turku saw off SC Bern 4-3; Oulun Kärpät followed up their victory over the Red Bulls with a 4-0 win against ZSC Lions; while HV71 beat Malmö Redhawks 5-2. The results mean the Red Bulls are now sixth in the division.
For more from the European Trophy, head to the website or check out www.redbulls.com.
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