The heavily decimated Tölzer Löwen at the Bayreuth Tigers needed 40 minutes of run-up and two goals.
The race to catch up only lasted until 1: 2 and an exciting final phase.
For 40 minutes they lacked the ideas in the game ahead and once again the efficiency in the power play. Nevertheless,
lion trainer Kevin Gaudet
pays
his team respect: "How they fight, hats off."
Tölzer Löwen only approach 1: 2 with the Tigers
And he was right: Gaudet expected a close game, a goal would decide, it would be difficult to play in the draughty Bayreuth ice stadium.
However, he couldn't foresee that it would be so difficult: The lions, already with a decimated squad, traveled with one less player.
And not someone was missing.
But Max French, with 16 goals the top scorer of the Lions.
He had been tormenting himself with groin problems for a long time, it would have been better not to play in Kassel and stayed at home.
And the man for the graduation was missing exactly.
Marco Pfleger, who got Lubor Dibelka at the side with Reid Gardiner, took over the leading role immediately, shot from every situation and had several opportunities to equalize.
Just like Manuel Edfelder twice - for Dibelka in the first storm.
But Bayreuth had hit.
The Tigers started very committed and active with good offensive actions and presented after 150 seconds.
Julius Karrer's placed shot from the blue line found its way into the goal.
No luck, no efficiency in power play
The power play of the lions was again not optimal.
It is true that in both situations with one man on the ice they were definitely dangerous.
Tigers keeper Timo Herden in particular tested the keeper and Gardiner several times.
But he remained the winner and the lions continued to outnumber them without scoring.
What's more: Markus Lillich had barely returned from the penalty bench in the middle section when Tyler Gron grabbed the pane, pulled on the goal, and only the post saved the lions from the narrow gap.
“We also had a lot of chances,” says Gaudet.
"But no luck at the moment."
The second third was otherwise no feast for the eyes, except in the power play, the Tölzer hardly brought a dangerous shot on goal, they lacked the ideas.
And they did not succeed in stopping the Bayreuth striker: Ivan Kolozvary grabbed the disc shortly before the end of the third, danced two or three Löwen players dizzy, lost control himself, but somehow still fit in with Ville Järveläinen.
He put across again in front of Franzreb, the ex-Tölzer Gron increased to 2-0, nice goal.
But somehow a wake-up call for the Tölzer.
They activated their reserves in the final third, put pressure on them, and Gardiner took heart.
His shot hissed herds through the schooners.
Only 1: 2, and Bayreuth got nervous.
For the rest of the time it burned brightly in front of their box, but the lions no longer put the disc in Tor - not even when Franzreb left his goal in favor of a sixth field player.
Gaudet: “Check it off, now we have to find energy for the next game.” NICK SCHEDER
Bayreuth Tigers - Tölzer Löwen 2: 1 (1: 0, 1: 0, 0: 1)
Goals: 1: 0 (2:31) Karrer (Bindels / Zimmermann), 2: 0 (39:05) Gron (Järveläinen / Kolozvary), 2: 1 (53:20) Gardiner (Schlager / Schwarz), - penalty minutes: Bayreuth 4, Tölz 2, - Referees: Marcus Brill, Kevin Salewski.
