Hungary will be facing the team that they are probably the most familiar with, both the actual players as well as the national team and the countries' playing style. Hungary is also in a must win situation if they want to keep their slim chances alive of finishing in the top two and therefore gaining promotion. After three games Austria sits at the top of the table with eight points and Hungary is fifth with three, but Austria is beatable.
After the partying situation in Sochi, the NHL playoffs, retirement from the national team and some personal time off this is not the same Austrian team that was at the Olympics, with only eight of the Olympians being on the roster for this tournament.
Both goalies that they have brought to Korea should be familiar, Bernhard Starkbaum has been in the national team squad for a number of years, played in the EBEL against the players from Fehérvár and was a teammate of János Hári in MODO. He is an excellent goalie that has veteran experience and knows how to organize the defence from the back. Rene Swette is a skilled backup who has been a regular keeper in the EBEL for many years for Klagenfurt.
The defencemen are led by Mario Altmann who at the age of 27 is the oldest defenseman on the team as well as the only one to be on the Olympic team. All of the defencmen including Altmann have never played at a higher level than the EBEL. This is clearly the weakest and most inexperienced part of the Austrian team. If Hungary skates well within their system and have shots on goal then the their forwards can take advantage of the inexperience.
There is a bit of a youth movement going through the Austrian national team, but one of the players that is expected to run the offense is long time Salzburg and Klagenfurt forward Thomas Koch. Joing Koch in the points production is Canadian-Austrian Brian Lebler and Mattias Iberer who has spent his career jumping between Linz and Graz.
“The Austrians have a number of very fast players, and they are excellent on the power play as well,” says Benjámin Nemes, Fehérvár forward. “Hungary will have to keep up the pressure for them not to have chances to score.”
Photo: László Mudra