All Even – Ingolstadt gains momentum

Just 26 hours after Game 3 ended the two rivals for the DEL champiinship met again in Ingolstadt. And everybody who expected both teams to be tired was positively surprised. The game should evolve as one of the most intense games of these play-offs.

Right from the start both teams fought for every inch on every shift. The first strike of genius was a pass of Thomas Greilinger from the right side boards. He fired the puck into the slot where Derek Hahn just had to put his stick on the ice to score the first goal of the game. Until the end of the second period there was a lot of grinding and also a lot of chances. With three minutes left in the second period Travis Turnbull missed a break away, which Jean Francois Boucher picked up behind the goal and just put it in front of the goal where Danny aus den Birken deflected it into his own net with his skate.

What seemed like a secure lead at first, was almost blown by the end of the period after Michel Periard was sent to the box just seconds before Patrick Hager shared his destiny for a high stick. And Ingolstadt was even lucky as the referees missed another high stick on the play including an injury to Andreas Falk. Daniel Tjaernqvist needed just 12 seconds to convert the 5-3 power-play with a blast from the slot.

In the last period the Sharks put up the pressure again and were going strongly towards the equalizer when Björn Krupp got a penalty. Tyler Bouck found the net and made it 3-1 Ingolstadt. The Sharks tried everything and pulled the goalie with 3 minutes to go, but it was Robert Sabolic, who eventually would score another goal to lift the Panthers to the second 4-1 win in 2 days.

The series is now tied 2-2 and will resume on Friday in Köln.

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