The Grizzlys Wolfsburg missed the playoff final of the German Ice Hockey League. In the seventh and decisive game, title favorite EHC Red Bull Munich was clearly better at 2:7 (0:2, 2:3, 0:2) and defeated Lower Saxony 4:3 in the best-of-seven series. In the final, Munich will now meet ERC Ingolstadt from Friday (7.30 p.m. / Magentasport), while the season is over for Wolfsburg.
As close as the games in the previous six meetings were, the seventh comparison in front of 5728 spectators was clear. Munich’s Justin Schütz scored after three minutes. Yasin Ehliz increased the lead to 2-0 in the first period (11th). Wolfsburg didn’t get into the game at all and were punished again by Chris DeSousa: the Canadian scored to make it 3-0 after 27 minutes.
Wolfsburg’s top defender Jordan Murray not only saw a match penalty for a check that was too hard, the Grizzlies also had to play outnumbered for five minutes. The Jackson team mercilessly exploited this. Trevor Parkes (29th) and Patrick Hager (32nd) scored more than just a preliminary decision.
“We can’t all run forward like crazy and leave our goalkeeper alone,” complained Fabio Pfohl at Magentasport. Wolfsburg goalkeeper Dustin Strahlmeier saved his team from a debacle with numerous saves. At least Laurin Braun (36th) and Darren Archibald (38th) were able to shorten the lead to 2:5. “Actually, I’m very happy, but the goals will probably make them believe in themselves again,” Munich’s goalscorer Parkes warned in the third break.
However, from the point of view of the favorite, the series victory was no longer in danger in the final round. With six minutes left, Grizzly’s coach Mike Stewart took out the goaltender and put another player on the ice. But only Munich scored: Filip Varejcka (57th) and Andreas Eder (59th) made the 7-2 final score perfect.
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