A start to forget for the Black Wings

Two matches, zero points, 0:10 goals – the Steinbach Black Wings have completely botched their start to the 2024/25 ICE Hockey League and found themselves at the bottom of the table. The home premiere against record champion KAC brought a painful 0:5 (0:1, 0:1, 0:3) defeat, which was absolutely deserved.

“Bitter! That’s not enough, we’re making too many mistakes,” said an angry coach Philipp Lukas, whose team has been waiting for a goal for 120 minutes.

Judging by the outfits of the flag-wavers from the fan clubs who were lined up around the center circle, you would never have guessed that the ice age had begun. Shorts, flip flops and Hawaiian shirts characterized their appearance, but it was not long before summer was pushed out and hockey was omnipresent.

After just 117 seconds, the puck hit the Linz goal for the first time – Luka Gombac was so free (2nd). The first league home game in 199 days, or since March 9, 2024, could not have started in a worse way. At that time, the EHC had lost the fourth play-off quarter-final against eventual champions Salzburg 2:3.

Romig’s absence hurts

The attempt to make up for the 0:5 opening defeat in Bozen was a complete failure. “I don’t want to compare these two games, we have to do more in every respect,” emphasised Lukas, who is exploring the market for reinforcements together with chief scout Rick Nasheim. It should be quick, but not rushed. “I can’t do magic,” Lukas stated disillusioned. One thing is clear: the lively striker Emilio Romig, who is facing the end of the season after a shoulder injury, is missing everywhere.

3,602 spectators, including up to 500 emergency workers who were invited by the club after their tireless flood relief efforts and received with warm applause, would have liked to have seen a lot more of their wings. Klagenfurt was more aggressive, a bit faster, more forceful and more disciplined. Especially in the middle period, in which the “Red Jackets” used their third power play (Brian Lebler was in the penalty box for the second time) to make it 0:2 (38th).

A wake-up call was needed, and it was reserved for Gerd Kragl. The Linz assistant captain got involved in a fight with David Maier (42nd minute). To no avail. I am the opposite. The Danish KAC striker Mathias From made it 0-3 (49th minute) after a bad pass from Würschl, and things got heated in the end. Lukas put everything on the line, scoring from traffic to make it 0-4 into the empty net (58th minute), and Jan Mursak put the final point in a shorthanded game – 0-5 (60th minute).