Linz show character: "Good teams find a way"

Praise for goalie and penalty kill

However, his team got off to a flying start, ruthlessly punishing two Vienna mistakes to take a 2-0 lead after just six minutes of play.

As the game progressed, Linz could once again rely on goaltender Dylan Wells, who stopped 34 of 35 shots. At the same time, they kept a clean sheet on the penalty kill, earning high praise for their shorthanded play.

Lukas: "A lot of our players put in a huge effort and stuck to what we had agreed on. They showed the necessary determination to block shots."

test — Konnte zufrieden sein: Philipp Lukas
Foto: ©GEPA

His squad proved their character, not for the first time this season.

"It shows time and time again," says Lukas, "the team pulled together even in this precarious situation and found a way. People in our sport love to say: Good teams find a way."

That certainly applies to the Black Wings right now. The head coach does not believe that is a coincidence. "The team showed the will and fought through. We can be proud of the three points."

Resurgent "Bulls" await

The next tough test awaits as early as Sunday against Red Bull Salzburg (2:30 p.m. in the LIVE ticker).

The "Ice Bulls" are resurgent under new coach Teemu Levijoki, snapping Ljubljana's winning streak on Friday with a 4-1 away victory. Ironically, it was Linz who cost former coach Alan Letang his job with a crushing 6-0 win.

Lukas expects a similar game to the one in Vienna. "They will play with high pressure. We have to learn how to deal with that. We have to make every effort to impose our game on them. Play forward quickly, keep them busy. It will be a difficult task."