The Eisbären Berlin, renowned for their playoff prowess, have made a resounding statement in the highly anticipated Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) finals. In the opening game of the championship series between two of the DEL’s most successful clubs, the defending champions and record holders, Eisbären Berlin, secured a commanding 7-3 victory over Adler Mannheim, demonstrating exceptional efficiency.
Under the guidance of master coach Serge Aubin, who boasts a perfect record of 14 playoff series won with Berlin, the team has earned the first of the four victories required to claim their twelfth championship title. The series continues on Sunday at 4:30 PM in the capital. Eisbären captain Kai Wissmann’s participation in the next game is uncertain, as he received a game misconduct penalty in the final period following a board check.
«In the first period, we capitalized on our chances, and in the second, we played as we can,» Aubin commented to MagentaSport. «In the third, we allowed them back into the game. We need to elevate our level further.»
Liam Kirk (4th/58th minute), Jean-Sebastien Dea (11th), Les Lancaster (19th), Ty Ronning (35th), Markus Vikingstad (36th), and Andreas Eder (57th) scored for the Eisbären in front of a sold-out SAP Arena crowd of 13,600 spectators. Notably, Eisbären Berlin has not lost to Mannheim in the playoffs since 2002. Kris Bennett (42nd), Alexander Ehl (48th), and John Gilmour (56th) managed to reduce the deficit for the Adler, who are appearing in the finals for the first time since 2019.
Ten German Olympians were on the ice, along with half a dozen other potential candidates for the World Championship in Switzerland in three weeks. In the German goaltending duel between Maximilian Franzreb and Jonas Stettmer, the Berlin netminder initially faced more action due to Mannheim’s strong start.
Eisbären’s Clinical Performance: Berlin Wins First Final Game in Mannheim
However, Stettmer stood firm, and it was Franzreb who conceded the first goal. In a power play situation, the Berlin team benefited from a lucky bounce that found a wide-open Kirk, who beat Franzreb out of position to give Eisbären the lead.
Franzreb was again unfortunate on the second goal, as the puck deflected off a defender to Dea, who easily scored his first playoff goal. The Adler goalie was also helpless on the third goal, with Lancaster coolly finishing a brilliant pass from Marcel Noebels. This was Berlin’s third goal on their fifth shot. «We need to defend better,» stated Mannheim’s national player Lukas Kälble to MagentaSport. «They scored easy tap-ins.»
In the second period, the Berliners, who started the playoffs as the sixth seed after a challenging regular season, continued to stifle Mannheim’s offense. Simultaneously, they intensified their own attacking efforts, extending their lead through Ronning’s 32nd playoff goal in the last four years and Vikingstad. Mannheim finally managed to beat the strong Stettmer in the final period, creating a brief moment of tension.