MOL League: Week 5 Preview

For the first time this season there will be at least one MOL League game from Friday through Tuesday. Diósgyőr is sitting at the top of the standings with a four point lead over Debrecen and Újpest is sitting in the final playoff spot with a two point lead over Brasov and Dunaújváros.

For hockey fans in Miskolc everything is back to normal, their beloved PolarBears are in first place thanks to a great offensive production and outstanding goaltending from Player of the Week Attila Adorján. DVTK hopes to open up on their four point lead over Debrecen, they will be traveling to Újpest for the first time this season who they beat at home 3-2 earlier in the season and they host Ferencváros, who they beat easily once already. Both of their opponents have gone through some changes since the last time they faced both Budapest clubs. Teemu Elomo had surgery recently and hopes to back within a month, UTE brought in Erik Pance to help with the offensive production in the meantime. Ferencváros let go of Tamás Odry, Illés Gallo and Ádám Fekti, they brought in Dávid Horváth from MAC and Tamás Erdély is back on the ice. The team will still be without Márton Mach and Latvian import Edgars Apelis. The week does not get any easier for the two Budapest teams as UTE will travel to second place Debrecen and FTC has a Friday night date at the Tüskecsarnok against second place MAC.

Debrecen has been holding onto second place despite playing with a short bench because of injuries, Zoltán Csíki looks to be out and Norbert Hári their last game. DHK will travel to Fehérvár for the first time this season on Friday and after the UTE game they will close out the week against MAC Budapest, who they have a two point lead on. After playing FTC on Friday and before they play Debrecen, the third team in Budapest, MAC will face Fehérvár, a team that they beat 3-2 in overtime at home on Tuesday. MAC has yet to have any major injuries and the lines look to be pretty much set with Coach Majoross only rotating in the 13th forward and the 7th defenseman. Volán if five points behind third place MAC, they have received some good goaltending from both Janis Kalnins and Alex Scolae despite the injuries that they picked up and with some players being called up to the EBEL squad. Attila Reiter could still be out, however Márk Szaller will be back with the team.

Dunaújváros will be making their first Transylvanian road trip of the season, everyone looks to be back from illness but they will be without leading scorer Imre Peterdi against both Csíkszereda and Brasov. New head coach Artur Oktyabrev will be making his home coaching debut for HSC against DAB. With ten imports on the roster it will be interesting to see who will be left out of the lineup as the team is in search for their first win of the season. On Saturday Brasov could be missing a number of players because officially they will be splitting their roster in half since there game scheduled at Gyergyószentmiklós in the Romanian league the same day as they host Dunaújváros. It will be a true hockey night in Csíkszereda on Monday as Brasov travels north for the first time this season for the second derby of the season, Brasov won the first game 5-2.

League Leaders

Points: 18-Brance Orbán, Fehérvár AV19

Goals: 14-Jeff Hayes, MAC Budapest

Assists: Orbán, Fehérvár AV19

Schedule