Favorites Berlin and Munich start with hard-fought victories
Hard work for the favorites: Main round winners Eisbären Berlin and “runner-up” Red Bull Munich started the play-offs of the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) with hard-fought victories, Grizzlys Wolfsburg and Adler Mannheim are also after the quarter-finals opener in the lead.
Defending champions Berlin defeated the Kölner Haie 2-1 (0-0, 2-0, 0-1) in the first game of the “best of five” series on Sunday. In the evening Munich then rang the Düsseldorfer EG after a 1:2 deficit with 4:2 (1:1, 1:1, 2:0).
Eight-time German champions Mannheim won 3-2 (1-1, 1-0, 1-1) at the Straubing Tigers. Only Wolfsburg, third in the main round, had few problems in the 5-0 (2-0, 1-0, 2-0) against Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven. Game two takes place in all series on Tuesday.
National players Marcel Noebels (21st) and Leo Pföderl (31st) put the Berliners on the road to victory. Cologne’s David McIntyre (54th) only managed to score the goal.
In Munich, Andrew O’Brien (8th) put the favorites ahead against DEG, who, like Cologne, had only made it into the play-offs in the qualifying games. Düsseldorf’s Jerry D’Amigo (18th) and Luca Zitterbart (28th) turn the party around. After Benjamin Smith equalized (28′), Zachary Redmond (52′) and O’Brien into the empty goal (59′) made the decision.
In Straubing, the Tigers took the lead through Kael Mouillierat (9th), but Mannheim countered with goals from Jordan Szwarz (12th) and Andrew Desjardins (21st). Szwarz (59 ‘) made the general decision with his second goal, but Travis St. Denis made it 2: 3 with 41 seconds to go.
Wolfsburg’s victory was marred by captain Sebastian Furchner’s injury. The 39-year-old, who ended his career after the season, had to leave the ice on a stretcher in the last third. Christopher Desousa (9th), Björn Krupp (11th), Trevor Mingoia (27th/47th) and Darren Archibald (52nd) scored for the Grizzlies.