Vienna, 26 September. Anyone looking for an immediate response after the defeat in Budapest got one at the neuro.io Arena in Vienna, where Milano took the points with authority and full merit. Everything clicked: from Edoardo Berti (who turns 22 tomorrow), flawless on his debut between the pipes, to the power play that set the tone in the first period, to Coach Shedden's defensive system, which left the Capitals disoriented on their zone exits. The team returns to Milan with a haul of four wins and one defeat, beyond even the rosiest expectations.
Milano dominated the first period. At the seventh minute Finoro tapped in a Saracino feed on the power play. The same line, again with the man advantage, doubled the lead through Dal Colle, who called for and received a perfect pass from McKegg at the back post. Vienna were rocked and conceded a third just 13 seconds later: the well-oiled McLaughlin–Caamano partnership broke away in transition, with the former setting up the latter to finish. Three-nil at the first intermission.
Understandably, the tune changed in the second period: Vienna refused to be embarrassed in front of their own fans and attacked relentlessly. Former Bolzano forward Gersich was the one causing havoc, scoring the Austrians' first goal with a precise deflection of a Bailen pass that found its way under the crossbar, beyond a blameless Berti. It was the hosts' best spell, and they added a second on the power play with a fine cross-ice shot from Kosnachuk on Berti's blocker side. Milano wobbled, suffered and gritted their teeth until the play that restored order: Alex Grant circled Reideborn's net, spinning the black-and-yellow defence around before opening up the play to find Chiodo completely unmarked. For the former Asiago man it was a formality: 4-2 at the second buzzer.
All four lines were firing, and the proof came early in the third period when the fourth line won a battle behind the net, with Pietroniro feeding Cuglietta. His immediate pass found Houde, who nonchalantly sat Reideborn down and set off an eruption in the section held by 50 red-and-blue supporters. It was the knockout blow. Dal Colle sealed the 6-2 final score with an empty-net goal. After a well-earned rest, Milano face another three-game week: Klagenfurt, Villach and Salzburg to close out the road trip.
