Greedy gladiators: coach Thomas Vogl wants points from games against Landsberg and Passau

The Erding Gladiators want to get a bit of air into the back places this weekend and thus to the pre-playoff ranks seven and eight. To this end, the home game against HC Landsberg should be won this evening (8 p.m.), because at the away game on Sunday (6.30 p.m.) in Passau, the team of coach Thomas Vogl is rather an outsider.

Erding - After the away win at EHC Klostersee, the gladiators are now fifth with 11 points ahead of Landsberg (10), Waldkraiburg (9) and Klostersee (7). That alone shows the importance of today's game. After a great start, the Riverkings from Lech slipped a bit recently, having only managed to get one point in the last three games.

"The games against Landsberg and Passau this season were just great games," recalls the Gladiators coach. who is very optimistic about the weekend, and there is a reason for that: Florian Zimmermann and Martin Dürr are two injured attackers again, "that means that we have three balanced storm lines available". Vogl claims: "No team is as balanced as we are, every row is heavily occupied, everyone can score." As proof, he cites Daniel Krzizok's recent load inhibition, among other things. "Dany is currently our worst striker in terms of points, even though he is our top scorer," explains the coach. "Now he is back on track after two goals in Klostersee, his self-confidence is back."

A downside is Dominik Wagner's serious shoulder injury, for which the season is probably over. He is the third defender after Sebastian Schwarz and Konstantin Mühlbauer, who got worse. Thus, the gladiators still have six defenders available.

There could be a surprise in the goal because Christoph Schedlbauer has started training again. "The decision about his assignment will only be made after the final training," Vogl reports, "but it could be that he is against his home club."

With one eye, the gladiators coach looks even higher up in the table, in fourth place. "We have survived the misery, we are hot, we want the points, we want the victories." At home, the three points should definitely be brought in, and that Passau at home is no longer invulnerable has been shown by the recent defeat against Klostersee. In any case, Vogl announces: "We're going to play the games briskly, we want to show fast, aggressive, offensive ice hockey - and we want six points."