Kölner Haie win crucial battle in Playoff fight

In the most important game of the DEL Tuesday Cologne’s Sharks could get the important win in the battle between the two CHL participants, that are fighting for the last Pre-Playoff spot. With only 5 game days left before the playoffs and Krefeld and Köln tied with 64 points everybody knew that the fight in Krefeld tonight should be crucial.

The importance of the game could be felt in the first period. Not a lot of good plays, but a high intensity. The three penalties could not be used by either side. The defense lines and the goalies were still dominating.

This should change in the second period. 3:46 minutes into the period Philip Gogulla found Ryan Jones in the slot with a great pass and Jones did not let the opportunity go to waste to bring the Sharks ahead 1-0. 10 minutes later it was Mike Iggulden, who got a shot on Krefeld’s goalie Tomas Duba, but the shot got blocked and Chris Minard had the fastest reaction to double the score. Only 62 seconds later Krefeld got back into the game due to a straight shot of Hungarian skater Istvan Sofron. But Krefeld’s hopes were interupted with 3 minutes left on the clock in the second period by the 4^th line of the Sharks when Sebastian Uvira converted another rebound off Tomas Duba for the 3-1 score at the second intermission.

The last period started like the second ended. Again it was the 4^th Sharks’ line that left a mark on the game. Uvira found linemate Maxime Sauve and he netted in the 4^th goal of the night for Köln. After a few more powerplays on both sides without any effect on the scoresheet, the Kölner Haie seemed to get more and more control over the game, but Nick St Pierre could add one more goal for the Penguins by a nice wraparound behind the goal and initiated an eventful end to this game. 42 seconds before the final horn Krefeld suddenly found itself on the ice with a 2-man-advantage and an empty net, combined for a 6-on-3 powerplay, and it was Marcel Müller, who started the season in the Sharks uniform, cutting the lead to 4-3. But it should not be enough for the Penguins: With 11 seconds left, John Tripp managed to hit the empty net and kicked off the celebrations in the Sharks’ fan sector.

Kölner Haie are now in 10th place with a 3-point lead over Krefeld, but the Penguins still have one game in hand.