26.08.21 - 20:00 CET
Altough British league hockey is slowly rising with many North American players, it's still not a good quality league. Cardiff
will face Mannheim
in the first round of Champions Hockey League group stage.
Mannheim is the team with absolutely best defense in German DEL (Deutsche Eishockey Liga) with only 71 goals conceded (avg. 1,78/match) in 40 matches of regular season (second best was Eisbären Berlin with 91 goals!). Mannheim was the best team of regular season in Germany and then reached the semi-finals of play-off.
Cardiff will have difficult time against Germans as their 2021 season was canceled due to COVID-19 and I see this as a huge advantage for Mannheim! Despite winning 2020 regular season of British Elite league, they conceded 138 goals in 46 matches (avg. 3,00/match) against much weaker teams than Mannheim. Cardiff has an experienced team with most of the players around 30 years old or above.
If Mannheim manage the physical way of play from Cardiff Devils and will lay their "A" team (coach Gross assured fans that they won't understimate Cardiff, because they respect it's mostly North American players team, and that they have the highest targets this season), I see no problem opening Champions Hockey League with an easy win.
Adler Mannheim WIN AH-1,5 @ 1,80
Altough British league hockey is slowly rising with many North American players, it's still not a good quality league. Cardiff
will face Mannheim in the first round of Champions Hockey League group stage.Mannheim is the team with absolutely best defense in German DEL (Deutsche Eishockey Liga) with only 71 goals conceded (avg. 1,78/match) in 40 matches of regular season (second best was Eisbären Berlin with 91 goals!). Mannheim was the best team of regular season in Germany and then reached the semi-finals of play-off.Cardiff will have difficult time against Germans as their 2021 season was canceled due to COVID-19 and I see this as a huge advantage for Mannheim! Despite winning 2020 regular season of British Elite league, they conceded 138 goals in 46 matches (avg. 3,00/match) against much weaker teams than Mannheim. Cardiff has an experienced team with most of the players around 30 years old or above.If Mannheim manage the physical way of play from Cardiff Devils and will lay their "A" team (coach Gross assured fans that they won't understimate Cardiff, because they respect it's mostly North American players team, and that they have the highest targets this season), I see no problem opening Champions Hockey League with an easy win.
Adler Mannheim WIN AH-1,5 @ 1,80
