The Fischtown Pinguins from Bremerhaven have reached the playoff semi-finals of the German Ice Hockey League for the first time in the club’s history. EHC Munich is also in the top four, the Eisbären Berlin are only one win away from their success against the Mannheimer Adlern. The Straubing Tigers, however, equalized 2-2 with a clear away win at the Schwenninger Wild Wings.
Main round winner Bremerhaven also won the fourth quarter-final match at ERC Ingolstadt 3-1 (1-0, 0-0, 2-1) on Sunday (March 24th, 2024) and decided the best-of-seven series 4-0 itself. The first semi-final for coach Thomas Popiesch’s team will take place on April 1st in Bremerhaven, the opponent has not yet been determined.
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Vikingstad initiates the victory
The Norwegian Markus Vikingstad scored for Bremerhaven to take the lead 1-0 after just five minutes. In the second third, the hosts repeatedly failed due to the outstanding Penguins goalkeeper Kristers Gudlevskis. The Latvian demonstrated several times why he was voted the best DEL keeper of the season. Ross Mauermann (42nd minute) and Dominik Uher (46th) increased the score to 3-0 in the final half. The goal by Wojciech Stachowiak (57th) for Ingolstadt came too late.
Daniel Gahn, sports show, March 24, 2024 6:57 p.m
After the surprising first place in the regular season and the 4-0 quarter-final win against Ingolstadt, Bremerhaven has more than just outsider chances of winning the championship title. Since promotion to the DEL in 2016, coach Popiesch’s team has been eliminated in the quarter-finals six times.
Polar bears win with strong defense
Previously, the Eisbären Berlin had dealt the Adler Mannheim another low blow in the duel between the heavyweights of the German Ice Hockey League. The Berliners are now only missing a win to reach the semi-finals.
In the fourth playoff quarter-final, the DEL record champions prevailed 3-1 (1-0, 0-0, 2-1) against the eight-time champion thanks to a strong defensive performance and built up their lead in the best-of-seven series 3:1 out. With a win on Tuesday in their own hall, the Eisbären could move into the semi-finals.
Decision in the final minutes
In front of 13,600 spectators, Vice World Champion Marcel Noebels put the Berlin team in the lead (17th). In the second third, Mannheim pushed for an equalizer, but missed several top-class chances. Two-time Stanley Cup winner Tom Kühnhackl missed the best shot opportunity when he was outnumbered (28th). It wasn’t until the final period that Jordan Szwarz made it 1-1 (52′). Tobias Eder in the majority (58th) and Manuel Wiederer with a shot into the empty goal (59th) made the decision in the final minutes.
It is the ninth playoff duel between the two most successful clubs in DEL history. The Mannheimers, who started the series with a 7-1 away win, last triumphed against Berlin in 2002, after which they failed five times.
Wolfsburg simply fails at Munich
For the Grizzlys Wolfsburg, however, the season is over after the 1:2 (0:0, 1:1, 0:1) at EHC Red Bull Munich. In the fourth meeting in Munich, Gerrit Fauser gave the Grizzlys from Wolfsburg the lead when they were outnumbered (37th).
Shortly before the end of the second third, 19-year-old Veit Oswald made it 1-1 (40th). Munich’s Filip Varejcka’s goal (46th) decided the match and meant the end of the season for Wolfsburg.
Straubingen stops series of bankruptcies
Late on Sunday evening, the Straubing Tigers returned to the quarter-final series after two defeats in a row with a clear 5:1 (2:0, 3:1, 0:0) in Schwenningen. On Tuesday, Straubing has home advantage in the fifth meeting.
The game was characterized by three series. Straubing first made it clear 3-0 through JC Lipon (27th), Nicolas Mattinen (30th) and again JC Lipon (31st). Then Chris Brown (35th) and Alexander Karachun (44th) shortened the lead for Schwenningen, before Justin Braun (53rd) and Mark Zengerle (59th) made things clear again for the Tigers.
