ERC Ingolstadt (7.) – Kölner Haie (10th)
The starting position: Curiously both teams met already on Sunday, the final 60th main round match day where it will come on Tuesday evening at 19.30 clock too to come one: the Cologne Arena. Thanks to the 0-0 after 60 minutes, the sharks and their fans cheered before the decisive 1-0 from Landon Ferraro in the Overtime.
After a good start of the season, the sharks had previously even played the qualifying round. On and off it was also the case with the Upper Bavaria, which – similar to Cologne – after rapid descent in the second half of the season only in the last few weeks.
The main round: 2: 3 (OT), 2: 5, 3: 2 (OT), 0: 1 (OT).
The staff: Cologne commenced on Sunday during the game for a striker Ferraro, who had apparently had hurt on the leg and had been accompanied by players to the bank. But the Canadian returned quickly to the ice. Otherwise, the Domstädter are almost complete.
Ingolstadt, on the other hand, has a tremendous defense problem: because with US Olympic participants David Warsofsky, Ben Marshall (both injured) as well as Mat Bodie (infection) are equal to three of the most important defender – a hardly to compensatory loss. With the Danish international Frederik Storm is missing in the attack a very important actor.
Conclusion: Actually, Ingolstadt, which has one of the four best attacks of the DEL, would be favored. But the sharks have fewer personal problems and go with euphoria in the K.-O.-duels. Probably not wrongly says Cologne Coach Uwe Krupp: “Just as we present now, the journey is not over yet.”
Nürnberg Ice Tigers (8.) – Düsseldorf EC (9th)
The starting position: The form curves of both teams went a bit apart in the last season phase. Dusseldorf lost the last four season games – and this with a goal ratio of 4:18. In the last two main round lots, the DEG remained even without his own hits.
Nuremberg, on the other hand, won three of the last four games and at least brought at least one point at the only defeat at TopTeam Munich. However, all four main round lots between the two teams won the DEG – without even a point.
The main round: 1: 3, 1: 4, 4: 5, 1: 2.
The staff: At the ICE Tigers, three important defenders conceded a great punishment in the final game in Schwenningen with Marcus Weber, Blake Pillett and Andrew Bodnarchuk. At least the latter is definitely missing after the third big penalty in game one of the series on Tuesday. Even with the other two, a lock is at least possible. Injuries injuries, the francs are, on the other hand – except for the most unusual Center Ryan Stoa – largely healthy.
At the DEG captain Marco Nowak, his last match on March 27, also striker Brett Olson was last missing. The use of both is therefore questionable.
CONCLUSION: Nuremberg goes into the play-off quali in a better constitution, but bangs around the game of several defenders. Are penalties also a factor in the short series? Because during the DEG, which had already cashed in the past two seasons the fewest criminal times, in average, only a good seven minutes per game sits on the penalty bench, Nuremberg is almost twice as many.