The Düsseldorfer EG was the last team to reach the playoff quarterfinals of the German Ice Hockey League (DEL).
The eight-time German champions won the crucial third qualifying game at the Nuremberg Ice Tigers 3-1 (2-1, 1-0, 0-0) and will meet Red Bull Munich in the round of eight.
“It was a great series, respect for the team,” said DEG striker Alexander Barta at “MagentaSport” and was particularly happy for coach Harold Kreis, who had missed the first two games due to a family emergency in Canada: “A great thing that we gave him the win.” Kreis himself said: “We played from the opening face-off to win. The team spirit and discipline today secured us the win and the series.”
24 hours after the bitter 5:6 defeat after extra time in Düsseldorf, Alexander Barta (6th), Daniel Fischbuch (12th) and Brendan O’Donnell (32nd) scored for the guests. Fischbuch and O’Donnell also had two assists each.
Nuremberg, who had not made it into the playoffs last year, equalized in the meantime with Marko Friedrich (7th).
On Thursday, Düsseldorf’s arch-rivals Kölner Haie secured the penultimate play-off ticket at ERC Ingolstadt with a 3-2 win after extra time in game two.
The quarter-finals, for which the first six teams qualified directly, begin on Sunday. Favorites for the championship are the Eisbären Berlin, Munich and the Grizzlies Wolfsburg.
Nuremberg Ice Tigers – Düsseldorfer EG 1: 3 (1: 2, 0: 1, 0: 0) – Goals: 0-1 Barta (05:29), 1-1 Friedrich (06:55), 1-2 Fischbuch (11:01), 1-3 O’Donnell (31:53). – Penalty minutes: Nuremberg 10 – Düsseldorf 12. – Spectators: 6183. – Final playoff score: 1:2