Ice hockey: Final Watschn for Berlin: Third bull title in a row

The EHC Red Bull Munich has won the DEL championship for the third time in a row. Coach Don Jackson’s team beat the Berlin Polar Bears 6-3 (4-1, 1-0, 1-2) in the all-decisive seventh game of the dramatic best-of-seven final series at the Olympic Ice Sport Centre.

The Berliners got off to the better start and took a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute through Michael DuPont. After Konrad Abeltshauser (13th) had equalized the match, however, it was completely overturned.

Jon Matsumoto (16th) with his sixth goal in the finals and Steve Pinizzotto (17th) put the hosts 3-1 within ten seconds with a double strike. Shortly before the end of the first period Mads Christensen (20th) even increased to 4:1 in the powerplay.

In the second section, the polar bears desperately sought a way back into the game. But then came the great performance of Pinizzotto, who buried all hopes. In the 28th minute, the German-Canadian outnumbered the disc while lying over the line.

date

bearing

home

Away

result

Fri, 13.04.

1

Munich

Berlin

3:4

Sun., 15.04.

2

4:5

Wed, 18.04.

3

4:1

Fri, 20.04.

4

2:4

So., 22.04.

5

5:6 OT

Tue., 24.04.

6

5:3

7

After the sixth final goal by Jamie MacQueen (45th) for coach Uwe Krupp’s team, Brooks Macek (47th) responded with his 6-2 goal, which had of course been over long ago, even though the capitals were once again shortened by James Sheppard (48th).

“I am so proud of this team. We threw ourselves in and rewarded ourselves,” said Olympic hero Patrick Hager at Telekom Sport. “It was very intense. Berlin made it very difficult for us,” added Captain Michael Wolf.

The polar bears, who missed their eighth DEL championship, would have been the first team in the history of the finals to turn the series after a 1:3 deficit.

Munich, on the other hand, celebrated their next title after the two final triumphs against Grizzly’s Wolfsburg in 2016 and 2017. After Mannheim (1997 to 1999) and the polar bears (2011 to 2013), the Munich team is the third DEL team to win three championships in a row. It was Jackson’s eighth German championship as head coach.