Vienna Capitals vs Slovan Bratislava

Slovan struck twice inside the opening three minutes. Samuel Buček pounced on a puck that bounced off the end boards behind Caps goaltender Max Zimmermann, slotting it into a half-empty net at 1:37. Just 56 seconds later, Varga won a faceoff cleanly in the Caps zone and beat Zimmermann with a quick release to make it 2-0.

The Slovak vice-champions extended their lead early in the second period. Dmowski converted on the power play from the right circle at 21:33, putting Slovan up 3-0.

Vienna finally got on the board at 29:29 when Simon Bourque unleashed a heavy slap shot from the blue line on the power play that beat Patrik Andrisík high. The goal gave Mike Stewart's side a foothold heading into the second intermission trailing 3-1.

The third period erupted into a goal-fest. Benjamin Lanzinger deflected a Bourque point shot past Andrisík at 41:25 to cut the deficit to 3-2. Scott Kosmachuk then tied the game at 50:25, pouncing on a loose puck after a faceoff win in the offensive zone as Andrisík couldn't control the rebound.

Felix Koschek completed the Vienna comeback at 54:08, putting the Caps ahead 4-3 for the first time. But the lead lasted only 37 seconds — Jonáš Peterek scrambled home from a goalmouth pile-up at 54:45 to make it 4-4.

Oliver Eklind restored Slovan's advantage at 56:32 on the power play, firing home from close range. Vienna, however, refused to fold. With Zimmermann pulled for an extra attacker, Nick Bailen hammered a shot into the net from the slot on a man advantage at 58:29, making it 5-5 and forcing overtime.

In the 3-on-3 extra session, Kášlik buried the winner after a sustained Slovan shift, sending the Slovak bench into celebration.

Vienna appeared to have all the momentum after Koschek put them 4-3 ahead with under six minutes left in regulation. Slovan had surrendered a three-goal lead and were on the back foot for the first time in the match. But Jonáš Peterek's immediate answer — just 37 seconds later — swung the momentum back decisively. Had Vienna taken a two-goal lead into the final minutes, the outcome likely would have been different. Instead, Slovan regained confidence, scored again through Eklind, and forced Vienna to chase the equaliser.

Simon Bourque (Vienna Capitals) — The Canadian defenceman was involved in two of Vienna's five goals, scoring the first with a thunderbolt from the point and assisting Lanzinger's tip-in. Three-point night in his first pre-season outing.

Oliver Eklind (Slovan Bratislava) — Scored the crucial go-ahead goal at 56:32 of the third period on the power play, a strike that proved vital when Vienna tied it late.

Samuel Buček (Slovan Bratislava) — Opened the scoring inside two minutes and was a constant threat around the net. Also scored the OT winner against České Budějovice the night before.

Patrik Andrisík (Slovan Bratislava) — Faced heavy pressure in the third period as Vienna peppered the Slovan net. Made several key saves early in the Caps' pushback, including a point-blank stop on Jérémy Grégoire in the 49th minute.

The 6-5 scoreline with a 3-2 first period and 4-2 third period paints an accurate picture: this was a game of runs. Slovan dominated early with two goals in 93 seconds, then controlled the second period until Bourque's power-play marker gave Vienna life. The third-period shot volume swung heavily toward Vienna as they chased the game. The five combined goals in the final 18 minutes illustrate the defensive looseness typical of early pre-season hockey — both teams will want to tighten up before their respective league campaigns begin.

Slovan Bratislava won the Energie AG Motor Cup with back-to-back overtime wins (5-4 vs Motor České Budějovice, 6-5 vs Vienna Capitals). After opening their pre-season with a 5-6 loss to Třinec, Tapper's side have now won two straight — both featuring five goals and dramatic finishes. Vienna, playing their first pre-season game under new head coach Mike Stewart, showed offensive pop but defensive fragility, especially after building a 3-0 first-period cushion. The Caps face tournament hosts Motor České Budějovice on Saturday 22 August at 17:00 local time in their second and final game of the Energie AG Motor Cup.

A wildly entertaining pre-season shootout that told us more about both teams' attack than their defence. Slovan's resilience in answering Vienna's fightback — three times they trailed or were pegged back and found a response — bodes well for their September campaign. Vienna, missing five regulars, will take heart from scoring five unanswered after falling 3-0 down.

📺 Match highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBDLfH8bLeY