Last chance for Berlin – will Munich stay first in the group?
Despite a clear 6: 3 success against HC Lugano, the German champions Eisbären Berlin have no chance of advancing in the Champions Hockey League. In Group D, Munich lost the championship lead by conceding a last-minute goal.
The main focus was shortly before the end of the game: Danny from the birches.
imago pictures
A bitter and possibly momentous bankruptcy had to take DEL table leaders EHC Red Bull Munich. In a hard-fought game against Swiss champions EV Zug, Oberbayern fell behind after just 23 seconds with a goal from ex-NHL player Anton Lander. But then Munich bit into the game and took the lead twice: Frederik Tiffels and Trevor Parkes initially turned the game for the home side (29th, 35th), but Fabrice Herzog equalized in the middle third (38th).
From the birches and the 26 seconds
In the final section it finally got very exciting. Again Tiffels brought the EHC 3-2 into the lead (45th), but Dario Simion equalized again (52nd). When everything already looked like a point sharing through extra time or a penalty shootout, Munich’s Danny from the birches and the back team made a bad faux pas almost 30 seconds before the end of regular time: Instead of holding the already secured puck and thus forcing a face-off in his own third, wanted the experienced keeper can quickly pass the game device on to a teammate. But this failed and in the end even became a direct template to guest striker Jan Kovar, who slid into the half-empty goal 26 seconds before the end.
Due to the defeat without a point, Munich slipped to third place in Group D and is now under pressure in the coming week (Wednesday, 7.45 p.m.) in the final group game in Zug.
Polar bears win in vain
The German champion failed at short notice in the CHL. The convincing success against Lugano no longer helped the polar bears in the end, as Skelleftea won 6-1 against Tampere in the parallel game and both Scandinavian clubs from Berlin can no longer be overtaken.
Simon Despres (14th), Zach Boychuk (16th), Leo Pföderl (25th), Blaine Byron (28th, 38th) and Yannick Veilleux (44th) scored the goals in Berlin. Alessio Bertaggia (7th) and Calvin Thürkauf (34th, 57th) met for the Swiss.
In their last game of the CHL season 2021/22, Berlin will play the second leg in Lugano next Wednesday (7.45 p.m.).