1: 3 in Cologne! Despite lightning starts, the grizzlies don’t get any points from the sharks
Grizzlys coach Mike Stewart (played his 300th DEL game as a coach) remains without a win in his second game with Wolfsburg (1: 2 after extra time) against ex-club Cologne. The grizzlies lost 1: 3 (1: 1, 0: 2, 0: 0) in the Rhine metropolis on Thursday evening. The only goal of the guests was scored by Jonas Enlund, so the Haie remain one of the Wolfsburgs’ fearful opponents, who only won one of the last eleven duels with Cologne. Annoying: Cologne, in fifth place in the quotient table, made up some ground with their win against Wolfsburg (fourth place).
The staff
In terms of personnel, there was no change in the field players, Stewart trusts exactly the team that won 4-2 on Tuesday against Düsseldorfer EG. But with one small exception: Dustin Strahlmeier was again in the box instead of Chet Pickard.
The game
Both teams get started like the fire brigade! After less than a minute it is already 1: 1. Enlund stayed cool after Julian Melchiori conquered the puck in front of Haie keeper Justin Pogge, delayed casually and took the lead after 38 seconds. But: Only seven seconds (!) Later the template provider had to pull down due to handicap – and dying sharks only needed twelve more seconds in the power play to equalize. After a shot by Andreas Thuresson, Marcel Müller pushed the target with his thighs in the net. Was there a shot movement from the striker? Then the hit shouldn’t have counted. The referees checked by video, the goal counted – borderline. Müller honestly said in the third break on the Magentasport microphone: “I don’t really know the rules. I wasn’t sure myself whether the goal counted.”
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In the further first third Felden no more goals, but the pace remained extremely high, the checks tough. The grizzlies were incredibly aggressive in the Forecheck, so they not only took care of the lead, but also put Cologne under pressure and created opportunities. The Wolfsburg were even outnumbered – if the chance arose – with two men in the third of the Haie. But with no less than six penalty minutes in the first third, the grizzlies made life difficult for themselves, but when things got tough, the beaming man was once again in a good mood. Both teams were always dangerous, it could have gone well with a 2: 2 in the third break.
Sharks more powerful
If the game was still in the first third, the pendulum swung in the direction of the home side in the middle third, the sharks were more powerful, the grizzlies sometimes constricted in front of Strahlmeier’s goal for minutes. In these pressure phase fields also the two goals of this section – also because the Cologne had more disc luck and more accuracy in their actions. The former at the opening goal: Maurice Edwards pulled from the blue line, Strahlmeier parried with a catch hand, but in ping-pong style the puck hit Ryan Button, who unwillingly carried the disc into his own net. Shortly before, Gerrit Fauser deflected a shot from Janik Möser dangerously, but Pogge was able to parry it well.
And the Haie proved accuracy at 1: 3 from the Wolfsburg’s point of view. Shortly after a long pass that Trevor Mingoia, who was lurking on the blue line and completely detached, had not reached, Howden increased. Sebastian Uvira refueled on the right against two Wolfsburgs and put back on Thuresson. Suddenly the Cologne had a two-on-one in the slot, crossed, goal. Strahlmeier once again without a chance. After all: The grizzlies remained without penalty in the further course of the game, but did not use their excess numbers. Fauser criticized during the break: “There is a lack of efficiency in the duels, so we don’t create any chances.” Significant: Wolfsburg only had five shots in the second section.
Wolfsburg not necessarily enough
In the final section, the grizzlies started with a power play, but left that unused. In the aftermath, too, the Wolfsburg team did not have any clear chances and were not dangerous enough. Cologne was in good shape at the back – and when things got dangerous, for example when Spencer Machacek had a chance, who was allowed to withdraw completely freely in the slot, Pogge was there. In total, the grizzlies brought only 19 shots at the opposing box.
Curious: after a parade by the Haie-Keeper, the puck disappeared into the goalie’s equipment. After a few moments of searching, the referees gave up hope and the game went on. A little later, the second disc from Pogge’s schooner rolled into the net. Unfortunately no goal for the grizzlies. However, the guests no longer managed to score a regular goal. Just three minutes before the end, Stewart took Strahlmeier off the ice and brought in an additional field player – without any countable success.
There is no play on Sunday for the grizzlies, Stewart’s team will not continue until December 3rd (7.30 p.m.). Then the Iserlohn Roosters are guests.
“Not sticking to the game plan enough”
“We got off to a good start, but the second third was crucial,” said a disappointed Toto Rech at Magentasport. “We weren’t as aggressive as usual, we didn’t check back as well.” In addition to the better power play, Cologne also had better chances and blocked an extremely large number of shots, so the striker. “We didn’t have that many good opportunities, we didn’t stick to our game plan enough.”