HL Anyang — Red Eagles Hokkaido: 4:6, Asia League Ice Hockey

Red Eagles Hokkaido beat Chon An Yang 6:4 in the Asian Hockey League on Sunday. The visitors completed a turnaround after losing their meeting the day before. It was a seven-goal match that went the distance.

And here's the thing about the way they play each other — the history between them adds an edge to every fixture. The two sides had met just twenty-four hours earlier, with Chon An Yang taking a narrow 3:2 victory. Games like these tend to swing on momentum rather than form.

Chon An Yang came into the evening with mixed results. They had beaten Red Eagles Hokkaido on the 3rd, but before that suffered three defeats in four games, including a heavy 6:2 loss to Nikko Ice Bucks. Red Eagles Hokkaido showed more consistency, winning three of their last five while also taking two losses.

By then the visitors held their nerve after going behind. They ran the show for stretches of the second period, stretching the back line and forcing turnovers. Chon An Yang gave away too many cheap fouls when under pressure, and the decision was to press higher up the ice.

The final score gives Red Eagles Hokkaido three points and keeps them in contention. Chon An Yang drop further from the top, having won only one of their last five. The goal difference of two goals separates them now, and the gap may widen if results do not turn.