Defending champion EHC Munich is on course for the semi-finals in the playoffs of the German Ice Hockey League (DEL). The team of former national coach Toni Söderholm also prevailed in the second quarter-final against the Grizzlys Wolfsburg on Tuesday (19.03.24) with 7:3 (1:0, 3:3, 3:0), two wins are still missing to advance.
Remarkable: In the duel between the two runner-up goalkeepers Mathias Niederberger and Dustin Strahlmeier, 19 goals were scored in the first two games. The Schwenninger Wild Wings equalized against the Straubing Tigers with a 5:1 (3:0, 1:1, 1:0) after a lightning start in their series to 1:1. It continues on Friday (03/22/24, 7:30 p.m.).
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70 penalty minutes in Munich
Captain Patrick Hager (10th) scored for Munich with his 39th playoff goal. In the heated game with a total of 70 penalty minutes, fists were already flying in the first third. Wolfsburg turned the game around in the power play: first through Ryan O’Connor (21′), whose shot was deflected by Hager, then through Matt White (24′). Just 53 seconds later, Nico Krämmer (25th) set everything back to zero.
Gerrit Fauser (29th) made it 3-2 for the guests before it became dim in the old Olympic ice rink because several lamps failed. But the referees allowed play to continue. Then things got quiet – because of a medical emergency in the Munich curve. Nevertheless, the champions took control again with a double strike from Maximilian Kastner (38th) and Trevor Parkes (39th). Chris DeSousa and Parkes (48th) decided the game within 26 seconds.
Five more goals for the home team
Schwenninger, who are in the quarterfinals for the first time since 1995, took the lead after just 16 seconds through Johannes Huß, and 61 seconds later Tyler Spink increased it to 2-0. Phil Hungerecker further extended the lead (11th). Mike Connolly (24th) shortened, but Tyson Spink (32nd) and Chris Brown (47th) as well as Nicolas Krämmer (55th) made the decision. The home team scored five goals again – like in the first game last Saturday, when Straubing won 5-2.
In the other two quarter-final series, Bremerhaven against Ingolstadt and Berlin against Mannheim, the second games are scheduled for Wednesday.