Bavarian DEL final started
Blitzstarter Munich excels in efficiency
04/14/2023, 11:12 p.m
The first Bavarian final series since the introduction of the playoffs in German ice hockey starts quickly and in a high-class manner. With the happy ending in the first game for the title favorite. In the sold-out Olympic Ice Sports Center, the spectators see few goals, but they admire the highly efficient hosts.
Efficiency beats effort: Favorite EHC Red Bull Munich presented at the start of the first Bavarian playoff final series for the German ice hockey championship. In a fast-paced and high-class game, the team of successful coach Don Jackson won the first of a maximum of seven games against ERC Ingolstadt 2-1 (1-0, 1-0, 0-1) on Friday. In front of 5728 spectators in the sold-out Olympic Ice Sports Center, EHC record scorer Trevor Parkes (2nd minute) and Frederik Tiffels (28th) scored the goals for the three-time champion, who has been waiting for the fourth title since 2018. Wojciech Stachowiak (43rd) was successful for Ingolstadt, who was second in the main round.
“We played the better game in the end, but unfortunately it’s not enough,” Ingolstadt’s Leon Hüttl complained to MagentaSport and Munich’s Maximilian Kastner admitted: “We’re glad we brought it home over 60 minutes.”
The second game in the best-of-seven series will take place in Ingolstadt on Sunday (2:15 p.m. / MagentaSport). “We have our fans behind us, that’s where we get our first win,” said Hüttl. By April 27 at the latest, four victories are necessary for the championship title. “I do believe that it will be a long series,” said Munich’s sports director Christian Winkler about the duel between the two best main round teams. “I would be very surprised if it were over after four or five games,” he added, although his team had already won all four games in the DEL main round.
Niederberger help latte and post
In fact, the expected high-class Upper Bavarian duel developed, in which the main round winner Munich came out of the dressing room with all the vigor of the decisive and furious 7: 2 on Wednesday in the semifinals against Wolfsburg. After just 93 seconds, Parkes’ shot went past Ingolstadt’s goalkeeper Kevin Reich and went into the net. The 27-year-old’s strong performances in the semi-finals made him forget the injury to regular keeper Michael Garteig. The Canadian was not back in the squad on Friday after his injury from the quarterfinals against Düsseldorf.
Just when Ingolstadt put more pressure on in the second third and became much more determined, the EHC struck with its usual efficiency. National striker Tiffels increased after a counterattack for Munich, who are in a final series for the sixth time in the past eight years, but have had to wait five years for their fourth title win. “Now we want to have something in our hands again,” Winkler said of his team’s thirst for success, which was pushed more and more onto the defensive in the energetic game.
The guests, who were looked after by DEL coach of the year Mark French, became stronger offensively and put pressure on the goal of national keeper Mathias Niederberger, who also helped the crossbar and post a few times in his 50th playoff game. “Ingolstadt’s skiing is incredibly strong and they probably have the fastest team in the league. We have to find the right balance and not let ourselves be surprised by their high pace,” said EHC captain Patrick Hager before the game. The 2018 Olympic silver medalist had celebrated the first championship title ever for Ingolstadt in 2014. Ingolstadt’s high effort was only halfway rewarded in the final section by Stachowiak’s deflected connecting goal. Because more jumped out despite the constant pressure of the ERC.