Ice Pirates celebrate, Foxes lose clearly: This is how the DEL2 evening went in the East

Crimmitschau takes advantage of its moments and wins 2:0 against Landshut thanks to a strong Kevin Reich. In Weißwasser, the Lausitzer Füchse remain goalless despite their own chances – Ravensburg takes the points with a 3:0 win.

The DEL2 evening brings two contrasting stories for the two Saxon locations: The Eispiraten Crimmitschau secure an important home win in the relegation battle at Sahnpark, while the Lausitzer Füchse, despite having opportunities in their own arena, come away empty-handed against the efficient Ravensburg Towerstars.

Ravensburg punishes the Foxes' lack of precision

The Lausitzer Füchse lose 0:3 (0:1, 0:1, 0:1) in Weißwasser in front of 2,648 spectators against the Ravensburg Towerstars. The game is set early against the hosts: Erik Jinesjö Karlsson scores for Ravensburg in the 4th minute.

Afterwards, the Foxes repeatedly create opportunities – even on the power play – but lack the final determination in finishing. Ravensburg appears more purposeful in the decisive moments and increases the lead in the second period: Mark Rassell converts after a combination with Philipp Mass in the 34th minute to make it 0:2.

The fact that the game does not become even clearer is also thanks to Anthony Morrone. The Lausitzer Füchse goalkeeper keeps his team in the game with several saves, while his team continues to search for a way back. The preliminary decision comes right at the start of the final period: Robbie Czarnik scores on the power play in the 41st minute to make it 0:3.

For the Foxes – whose professional operations are organized as EHC Lausitzer Füchse Spielbetriebs GmbH – the main takeaway is that on an evening when they had phases of possession and pressure, it was not enough because their finishing did not match their intensity.

McCormick scores twice, Reich secures the win for Crimmitschau

Things go much better for the Eispiraten Crimmitschau at Sahnpark. In front of 2,587 spectators, Crimmitschau wins 2:0 (1:0, 1:0, 0:0) against EV Landshut, giving themselves some breathing room in the relegation battle.

The game is close and physical. In the 15th minute, Adam McCormick puts the Ice Pirates ahead – a goal that comes about luckily and carries even more weight in a game with few clear advantages. Landshut responds with a lot of effort and creates several good chances, but repeatedly fails to beat the strong Kevin Reich, who preserves the lead during a period of pressure.

In the second period, Crimmitschau delivers the next blow: McCormick scores with a powerful shot in the 37th minute to make it 2:0. In the final period, the West Saxons shift their focus to solid defensive work and see out the result – also because Reich continues to radiate confidence whenever Landshut pushes again.

Two home games, two different lessons

Both games show how much nuances matter in DEL2. In Weißwasser, it is less about the number of situations than their conversion: The Foxes create chances but cannot find a way past their own lack of precision and an opponent who consistently takes his chances.

Crimmitschau wins with a combination of efficiency and goaltending. Two converted actions by McCormick and a keeper who neutralizes Landshut's pressure phases are often the difference between a close game and an important win on such evenings – and correspondingly valuable for the Ice Pirates in the relegation battle.