Zach Boychuk from Eisbären Berlin and Niklas Heinzinger from Düsseldorfer EG Photo: Marco Leipold/City Press
From BZ/dpa
The Eisbären Berlin have overcome their weakness at home in the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) for the time being. On Sunday afternoon, the capital city won against the Düsseldorfer EG 3:2 (1:0, 0:1, 1:1, 0:0, 1:0) after a penalty shootout, after having previously lost twice in their own hall.
Matt White scored the decisive goal in the shootout, in regulation time Zach Boychuk and Peter Regin had scored for the reigning champions.
In front of 11,102 spectators in the arena at Ostbahnhof, both teams did little in the early minutes before the home side ended their first small phase of pressure with Boychuk’s opening goal. The goal gave the Berliners security, but despite good chances they missed it to extend their narrow lead. The guests were able to equalize shortly after the start of the second period with a goal from Edmund Junemann.
After that, the encounter picked up speed: the Berliners increased the pressure, while the Düsseldorfers became dangerous again and again with quick counterattacks.
Regin restored the lead for the capitals in the final period, but the visitors equalized with a Philip Gogulla goal 36 seconds from the end of regular time. The extra time remained goalless, in the penalty shoot-out White decided the game in favor of the capital city.