From BZ/dpa
The Berliners experience a relapse after the disappointing defeat in Bremerhaven. Before the last two main round games in the DEL, the master still has realistic playoff chances.
Coach Serge Aubin was not sparing in his criticism after the Eisbären Berlin lost 3-2 in a penalty shoot-out to the Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven.
“For us it’s about passionate ice hockey now, and I don’t think we showed any passion in the first forty minutes,” said the Canadian on Tuesday evening after the sobering defeat in the DEL main round final sprint. “We weren’t ready to play that game.”
Bremerhaven’s Ziga Jeglic has the puck, polar bear Marco Nowak slips Photo: picture alliance/ Eibner Presse
The fact that the reigning champions were able to move up to two points in tenth place thanks to the point won, because the direct playoff competitors all lost again, was rather a minor matter for the coach: “I’m happy that we got a point, but I am I’m not happy with the overall use. We have to be better,” said Aubin.
Indeed, the capitals, where captain Frank Hoerdler and top scorer Marcel Nobels failed, at no point in time to build on the previous strong performances in Mannheim (5: 2) and against Ingolstadt (5: 1). “We didn’t play hard enough at the back,” admitted defender Jonas Müller at Magentasport. “We simply did too few checks and countered too little.”
Despite the defeat, the Berliners still have a good chance of making the playoffs. “We’re giving everything again in the last two games, we want to get six points and then we hope that we can do it,” said Müller, referring to the encounter with the Augsburg Panthers on Friday (7.30 p.m., live on Magentasport) and the home game against Schwenningen for the main round final on Sunday.