Düsseldorf wins DEL WinterGame

WinterClassics have become common over the last years, but for the DEL it was only the second such event. For this occasion they chose the biggest rivalry German hockey has to offer: Düsseldorf vs Köln. And the two neighbouring Rhine towns put up a great show for the 51.125 visitors, which is a new European record for league games.

A show program, which included events like a legends game between both clubs, the Swedish alternative band Mando Diao performing on stage and a light show, got the people into the right mood and afterwards the game could finally start.

And for 10 minutes both teams showed intensive hockey without one team controlling the game, but slowly the Kölner Haie started to make their mark on the game. Especially on a DEG powerplay shortly before the first intermission Köln found a lot of opportunities to create scoring chances on their own. John Tripp could steal the puck while Düsseldorf was building up the game, but failed to get it past goalie Beskorowany. The same destiny was foreseen for Ryan Jones just seconds later on a breakaway. And as we have seen it in sports so many times, the team that does not use its own chances gets punished for it. With 51 seconds left in the first period it was Travis Turnbull, who opened the scoring for the DEG with a straight shot on that same powerplay.

The goal gave Düsseldorf the edge for the first part of the second period. After three minutes a rebound of a Drew Schiestel shot fell right in front of Chris Sparre, who tapped it in for the 2-0. Three minutes later an attempt to clear the puck out of the zone by Sharks’ goalie Danny aus den Birken got deflected of a skate right into the middle of the zone, where Nicki Mondt found himself wide open and instead of just shooting he saw that Chris Sparre was free in front of the goal once again and let him deflect the puck into the goal. Sharks’ coach Niklas Sundblad immediately took the time-out and it helped. Köln stabilized its game and with 47 seconds left in the period Philip Gogulla could get Köln on the board in a powerplay.

Gogulla even got the Sharks back into a one goal range when he intercepted a pass out of the zone by Düsseldorf’s defense and hammered it in right away. With 2 goals he continued his own little history of scoring goals on big stages. He already scored the historic 1-0 game winner for Germany in the 2010 world championships’ quarterfinals against Switzerland and also ended the second longest hockey game ever for the Sharks against Adler Mannheim. Gogulla had another breakaway chance shortly after, but was not able to put it in. Köln kept putting on pressure, but Düsseldorf could keep the lead until the end.

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