Adler Mannheim beat DEL leaders Eisbären Berlin 3:1 in rivalry game

Eisbären Berlin, the leaders of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), Germany’s top professional ice hockey league, lost 3:1 at home to their long-standing rivals Adler Mannheim on Sunday afternoon. According to Sportschau, which published the report from regional broadcaster rbb|24, a disallowed Berlin goal in the closing stages decided a tight, hard-fought game.

What happened

This was the biggest game of the weekend: the first-placed team against the third-placed side, Berlin’s leaders against Mannheim. Sportschau reports that the Arena am Ostbahnhof, the large indoor arena next to Berlin’s Ostbahnhof railway station, was sold out with 14,200 spectators. The period scores were 1:1, 0:0 and 0:2.

For the first five minutes or so, both teams felt each other out. Mannheim then took the first penalty of the game, which gave Berlin a power play. On paper that is a clear advantage. For this Eisbären team it has become a weak spot. Sportschau notes that Berlin have long been one of the least dangerous DEL sides with a man advantage, and that on average almost nine out of ten of their power plays end without a goal. The first one on Sunday went the same way.

Mannheim scored first in the 14th minute. A costly misplaced pass from Berlin in the attacking zone sent Luke Esposito through, and he beat Eisbären goalkeeper Jonas Neffin, who had been in strong form recently, with a fine move. The home crowd went quiet, but not for long. Berlin pushed hard in the last minutes of the first period, and in the 19th minute Kai Wissman fired another dangerous shot towards the Mannheim net. After two rebounds, Markus Vikingstad poked the puck in for 1:1.

The second period had no goals. Sportschau describes attacks from both sides repeatedly breaking down in a fiercely contested neutral zone, and both goalkeepers dealing with whatever danger did get through. Early in the third period Berlin had another power play, and again it produced almost nothing. Once the teams were back to full strength, the game became a battle between two defences that shut down nearly everything.

That held until the 52nd minute, when Mannheim defenceman John Gilmour made a strong solo run and restored the lead almost out of nowhere. Berlin had an answer a minute later, or seemed to. In the 53rd minute, during a power play, Ty Ronning’s shot from the left faceoff circle hit the left post, then the right one, and slowly crossed the line. The goal was ruled out because Ronning had crashed into the Mannheim net and knocked it out of position as the puck went in. It stayed 2:1 to Mannheim, and the visitors then put the puck into the empty Berlin net to make it 3:1 and secure the win.

Why it matters if you live in Germany

If you have recently moved to Berlin or Mannheim, this fixture is a good way into German ice hockey. Sportschau’s report makes clear that this is no ordinary meeting. It calls the two clubs “eternal rivals” and describes Mannheim as the big, hated rival whose visits are only welcome in Berlin because beating them feels especially good. For newcomers, that atmosphere is a large part of the appeal, and Sunday’s crowd showed how much demand there is: the arena was full.

For Eisbären supporters, the result points to a familiar problem. The team still leads the table, but its power play stands out as a weakness, and in this game it counted. Two Berlin power plays came to nothing, and the one that produced a goal ended with it being ruled out. In a close game between top teams, that was the difference.

For Adler Mannheim fans, an away win against the league leaders, in a sold-out arena, is a strong statement from the team in third place.

If you want to follow regional coverage of Berlin’s team, rbb|24, the news service of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (the public broadcaster for Berlin and Brandenburg), covered the game on air and in audio. Sportschau, the sports brand of German public broadcaster ARD, carried the report nationally.

What to watch next

The DEL now pauses for the Deutschland Cup, an international tournament, which gives both clubs a break before league play resumes. Sportschau says Berlin go into the break after a setback, and the pause gives the coaching staff time to work on the power play that has cost them before.

The disallowed Ronning goal is also likely to stay a talking point among Berlin fans, given how close it came to levelling the game. Mannheim, for their part, have shown they can beat the league leaders on their own ice. The table at the top looks worth watching when the DEL returns, and the next meeting between these two clubs will draw plenty of attention in both cities.

Source: Sportschau