Match-Up Preview: Bremerhaven Aims to Stop Undefeated Ilves
This Round of 16 encounter features Ilves Tampere, unbeaten Regular Season winners, facing Pinguins Bremerhaven, who barely qualified for the Top 16 through tie-breakers. Both teams had contrasting Regular Season journeys leading into the Playoffs.
Ilves Tampere’s Dominant Regular Season
Ilves maintained a flawless record throughout the Regular Season, establishing themselves as the team to beat in the playoffs.
Bremerhaven’s Challenging Route to the Playoffs
Bremerhaven’s six-game stretch was marked by ups and downs but revealed moments of resilience and skill. Their highlights include:
- Overtime victory against ZSC Lions Zurich
- Narrow loss to Salzburg
- High-scoring 5-8 home defeat to Grenoble, showing both offensive strength and defensive weakness
- Shootout win against Lukko Rauma
- Clear 2-0 home win over Luleå Hockey
- Close loss in Hamar
These results demonstrate Bremerhaven’s ability to challenge Europe’s elite teams when executing well.
Key Players Fueling Bremerhaven
Veteran forward Jan Urbas leads the German club, earning a spot on the Regular Season Team with eight points in six games, including six goals. His effective partnership with Žiga Jeglič drives much of Bremerhaven’s offense. Meanwhile, Nicholas B. Jensen and Phillip Bruggisser provide solid defense with intelligent puck handling.
“Jan Urbas made the Team of the Regular Season with eight points from six games, including six goals.”
Bremerhaven will rely on this mix of experience and determination to try and upset the unbeaten Ilves in this crucial playoff showdown.
Summary: Bremerhaven enters the playoffs as underdogs against unbeaten Ilves, banking on key players and moments of strong play to challenge Europe's top contenders.