DEL interim summary: EHC Red Bull Munich in top four

Monday, 11. December 2023 | DEL interim summary: EHC Red Bull Munich in top four

DEL upward trend: Red Bulls among the top four at half-timeInterim summary after 26 of 52 games// NEWSHalf of the main round in the PENNY DEL is over, time for a first interim conclusion. EHC Red Bull Munich is currently one of the hottest teams in the league!

The Red Bulls have always scored in their last five games. This includes four wins in a row and a point that our team scored on Sunday in a high-class top game at the Eisbären Berlin (1:2 n. P.). Since November 26 (5:1 win against Mannheim), no other team has achieved such a record. The cornerstone for the 13 points in this period was above all the defense with only six goals conceded.

So lief die erste Hälfte unserer DEL-Saison 2023/24

// DEL - HIGHLIGHTS

Upward trend

With 45 points, coach Toni Söderholm's team is now in fourth place at half-time. The top three teams from Berlin, Straubing and Bremerhaven are all within reach. Of the first 26 games, we were able to win 14 after regulation time, something only the Eisbären were able to do.

As in the previous season, the Red Bulls are a real force at Oberwiesenfeld. We took 30 points from 13 games at home, only Schwenningen were more successful (32 points). Ten Munich victories in front of a home crowd are the best in the league.

Highlights: Red Bull München vs. Adler Mannheim (26.11.2023)

// DEL - HIGHLIGHTS

Stability in defense

Defensively, we are also at the forefront, with 66 goals conceded being a good record. Our goalies Mathias Niederberger and Daniel Allavena have played a big part in this. Allavena started six games in Munich (3 wins), while Niederberger started 20 games between the posts (11 wins). With a goals-against average of 2.09 and a save percentage of 92.11 percent, Niederberger is once again one of the top goalkeepers in the league.

The potential for improvement in the second half of the season lies more in the exploitation of chances. Our boys often need too many shots to score a goal. With 77 goals scored, we are in the middle of the table.

Functioning special teams

The power play has worked reliably so far. On 88 occasions with at least one more player on the ice, the opposing team scored 19 times. That's a figure of 21.6 percent. Only Cologne (24 percent) and Frankfurt (22.4 percent) are ahead of us here. However, both teams were also allowed to score significantly more often when outnumbered.

Our shorthanded play is even slightly better compared to the same point in the previous season. 85.3% from the 2022/23 season compares to a success rate of 85.7% after the first 26 games of the current round. We have survived 72 of the 84 shorthanded situations so far (twelve goals conceded).

Highlights: Red Bull München vs. Grizzlys Wolfsburg (08.12.2023)

// DEL - HIGHLIGHTS

Number one at the bully point

We are right at the top when it comes to bullies. Patrick Hager and Co. have won 864 duels so far. 54.4 percent of face-offs won are the best in the PENNY DEL. Incidentally, our strongest face-off man is Andreas Eder, who has won 57.2 percent of all face-offs (194 of 339 attempts). With this record, he is one of the five best center forwards in the league in this statistic.

Youngster quartet in focus

Our four youngest players were a particular source of joy in the first half of the season. Defender Jakob Weber (19) earned himself a regular place with 20 appearances. Sten Fischer has already made eleven appearances in defense; on matchday 19, the 20-year-old celebrated his DEL goal debut in the derby against Ingolstadt. Attacker Klausi Heigl (also 20) has recorded three assists in 15 games. All three youngsters previously went through the Red Bull Ice Hockey Academy.

Veit Oswald has also become an integral part of the team. The young forward has developed magnificently in only his second DEL year. In 24 appearances, the 19-year-old already has seven points (five goals). On matchday 8, he scored his first professional goal in the 4-0 win against Iserlohn.

Together with Weber, the Landshut native was called up to the provisional squad of the German junior team for the upcoming U20 World Championship.

Welcome to Koni Abeltshauser: Private Einblicke ins Leben unserer #16

// INTERVIEW

More spectators than ever before

A look at the attendance figures is also pleasing. The 13 Munich DEL home games were watched by a total of 61,646 spectators, an average of 4,742 fans per game. The Olympia-Eisstadion was sold out three times.

In comparison: last year, 55,166 spectators attended the Oberwiesenfeld on the first 13 DEL home match days (4,244 on average). So the trend is clearly pointing upwards. And that's not all: Never before has EHC Red Bull Munich welcomed more visitors to Oberwiesenfeld after 13 matches in the DEL than this season. As our stadium announcer Stefan Schneider always says so aptly: "Thank God!"