There were almost exactly 48 hours between the Eisbären’s overtime goal in the third final game against Bremerhaven and the first face-off in the fourth match on Tuesday evening. And it was clear to both teams that this longest final match in the history of the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) is still in their bones. Nevertheless, the polar bears were able to regenerate better. Thanks to a 4:1 (1:0, 0:1, 3:0), the Eisbären secured their third win in the fourth game thanks to a brilliant final third and are now only one win away from their tenth title.
At first it looked as if Yannick Veilleux had scored a real impact on Sunday. The Bremerhaven team acted very inhibited in the first third. The Eisbären, on the other hand, wanted to carry on the spirit of the 2-1 series lead in front of 14,200 spectators in the Friedrichshain Arena, which was sold out for the 21st time.
They were strongly based on the successful approach from Sunday. Once again the focus was on puck control and therefore game control. As a result, the first approaches to the goal did not pose a real threat; Bremerhaven, on the other hand, only managed three shots on goal in the entire first third.
When the special teams were called upon, the Berlin players seemed a lot more energetic. The Bremerhaven power play almost made it 1-0 for the Eisbären. Manuel Wiederer, who was playing his 200th DEL game, was just interrupted.
Two minutes before the first break, the overdue lead followed when we were outnumbered. As he has done several times in these play-offs, captain Kai Wissmann distributed the disc with clarity. Ty Ronning was there for the first time and took advantage of the fact that Bremerhaven wasn’t well organized.
During the break, the guests had probably realized that with the previous style it was hardly possible to win that evening and equalize the series again. And so Thomas Popiesch’s team came out of the cabin feeling renewed and recharged with fresh energy. The game had nothing to do with the first 20 minutes.
This final series has left its mark
The pressure on Eisbären keeper Jake Hildebrand was now enormous. It seemed as if the Berliners were a little short on physical resources after the last marathon match. So it came as no surprise that the Pinguins equalized Berlin’s lead for the fourth time in this series; Phillip Bruggisser was responsible for this (32′).
After 40 minutes you even had the feeling that the hosts were still well served with the 1-1 score. While Bremerhaven fired 20 shots on goal in the second period, the Eisbären only managed three this time. The Penguins now also clearly led in the intensity segment.
And so the question really arose to what extent the wear and tear on Sunday played a role. Some players on both sides are struggling with aches and pains. In addition, this series has left its mark with all its twists and turns.
However, it was once again shown that the polar bears can make gains when required. Once again they were able to rely on their power play, which worked almost perfectly in some games. As with the 1-0 win, Ronning was at the center of the celebration, with Leo Pföderl and Wissmann once again paving the way.
The chance of a preliminary decision was correspondingly great when Markus Vikingstad had to go to the penalty box for four minutes and Miha Verlic joined him two minutes later. The polar bears then let a two-minute 5:3 advantage pass. Nevertheless, nothing should go wrong because Ronning finally broke Bremerhaven’s will with his third goal of the evening. Frederik Tiffels scored the final score with a goal into the empty goal.