The Eisbären Berlin in the 2021/2022 season: Getting the right opponent – why the Eisbären can look forward to Cologne – Liveblog – Sport
Get the right opponent –
The polar bears can look forward to Cologne
It’s an absurdity that can hardly be surpassed how the Kölner Haie played in the play-offs. At the beginning of the year, the traditional club was announced in some places in the German Ice Hockey League (DEL), as the Haie mutated into relegation candidates after a long series of losses. But the question of what from a DEL
The Cologne players celebrated on Thursday evening as if they had won a title. In two victories they cheered ERC Ingolstadt, after all seventh after the main round, as tenth from the first play-off round (formerly known as “pre-play-offs”). With a lot of drama and a 3-2 win in extra time on Thursday after being 2-0 down early on – after only having secured tenth place on Sunday.
A lot of drama, from which the polar bears were far away as the sovereign winners of the main round. The sharks fiddled them off quite easily four times. Anything other than three Berlin victories in the quarter-final series would of course be a surprise – as would the fact that Serge Aubin were to admit exactly that. But of course the Berlin coach prefers to say: “Cologne is a team with experience and size, we have to be in top form to progress there.”
In Cologne’s favour, it can be said that they had an outstanding goalkeeper on the ice in Justin Pogge, until two years ago in Berlin, and have fought their way back into the season. Cologne striker Alexander Oblinger, a long time ago with the polar bears, says: “It’s a tough one, but we want to find a way to beat the Berliners.” You can believe that. Although it is hard to believe that the people of Cologne can do it.