The Adler Mannheim suffered a setback in the fight for the German championship. The Kurpfälzer lost a spectacular first final game against the Eisbären Berlin.
The Adler Mannheim lost the first game of the DEL final series 3:7 (0:3, 0:2, 3:2) against the Eisbären Berlin. Coach Dallas Eakins’ team had no chance against the team from the capital in two thirds. It was only in the final third that the Eagles started to catch up.
Liam Kirk (8th and 58th minutes), Jean-Sébastien Dea (11th), Lester Lancaster (19th), Ty Ronning (35th), Markus Vikingstad (36th) and Marcel Noebels (57th) scored the goals for the Berliners. Kris Bennett (42nd), Alexander Ehl (48th) and Luke Esposito (56th) scored for the Eagles. In the best-of-seven final series, Eisbären made an impressive showing and took a 1-0 lead.
Polar bears overwhelm eagles in the first third
Things actually started well for the Adler in the sold-out Mannheim Arena. After just two minutes, the hosts were in the majority for the first time, and Berlin’s Eric Mik had to leave the ice after tripping Maximilian Heim. Adler striker Matthias Plachta tried a wrist shot in the subsequent power play phase, but his attempt was unsuccessful.
The Berliners did it better. Mannheim’s Tom Kühnhackl had to leave the ice in the seventh minute because of a stick strike. A few seconds later, Liam Kirk scored with the advantage into the Mannheim goal – 1-0 for Berlin. Berlin’s narrow lead didn’t last long. Just three minutes later, Canadian Jean-Sébastien Dea scored his first play-off goal, making it 2-0. The Eagles tried to re-establish the connection, often shooting at the Berlin goal. But the disc just didn’t want to hit the net. The Berliners, on the other hand, were mercilessly efficient. Les Lancaster made it 3-0 for the Eisbären in the 19th minute – it was only the Eisbären’s sixth shot on goal.
Double whammy sealed Eagles defeat
Anyone who believed that the Eagles would convert their quality into goals in the second third was disappointed. Instead, the polar bears now not only played efficiently, but also at a high level. A double strike in the 35th and 36th minutes by the Eisbären decided the game for the guests. Ty Ronning and Markus Vikingstad got on the scoresheet. Eagle defender Dan Renouf blew the fuses after the score was 0:5. He had to go to the penalty box for ten minutes for his attack on Yannick Veilleux.
Adler only broke the goal spell in the final third
At the beginning of the final third, the Eagles changed the goalkeeper position. Maximilian Franzreb was replaced by Johan Mattsson after conceding five goals. In the 42nd minute, the Eagles again had some hope: striker Kris Bennett finally managed to overcome the strong Eisbären goalkeeper Jonas Stettmer to make it 1:5. The polar bears weakened themselves a little later: Kai Wissmann drove a hard check against Mannheim’s Leon Gawanke, who crashed hard into the boards. The referees handed out a major penalty against the Berliner, who had to leave the ice for the rest of the game.
Alexander Ehl scored 2:5 for the hosts in this strong phase for the Eagles. The German international sank the Puk strongly into the left corner of the Berlin goal (48th). Five minutes before the end of the game, Mannheim took full risk. Goalie Johan Mattsson left the ice in favor of a sixth skater. Luke Esposito used the majority to make it 3:5 for the Eagles (56′), but a little later the Eisbären closed the bag with two goals into the deserted Mannheim goal.
The series continues in Berlin on Sunday (April 26th, 4:00 p.m.). Then the Eagles want to equalize so as not to lose sight of the dream of the German championship.
