The Nuremberg Ice Tigers managed to equal the score 1:1 against the Cologne sharks in the play-off quarter-finals of the DEL. Less than 24 hours after the 1:4 home failure in the first duel, the main round third won 3:2 (1:2, 1:0, 0:0, 1:0) after extra time.
The match winner was Olympic silver medal winner Leonhard Pföderl, who scored in the 18th minute. Minute of Overtime that brought 1:1 in the best-of-seven series.
The Franconians had missed the start of the game like in the first duel: In the eighth minute, Cologne’s Sebastian Uvira scored 1-0 after a violent shot by Christian Ehrhoff, four minutes later the Canadian Blair Jones raised to 2:0 for the hosts.
But then Nuremberg woke up and increased the number of strokes considerably: John Mitchell (16th) and Pföderl (28th), after Pascal Zerressen’s disc loss, scored the deserved compensation for the play-off semi-finalist of the past two years.
Shark keeper Gustaf Wesslau initially prevented further goals with strong parades. Two minutes before the end of the regular season, Cologne were also lucky when Pföderl only hit the post. Nuremberg remained in the lead in extra time until Pföderl pushed the puck over the line to win.
The third game will take place next Sunday (4.30 pm) in Nuremberg.