On Friday night, Eisbären Berlin defeated the Fischtown Pinguins on the road in Bremerhaven 2-0 to win the DEL finals four games to one.

With the fifth game scoreless early in the third period, Leo Pföderl scored what proved to be the title-winning goal, firing a rocket from the top of the circle that beat Bremerhaven goaltender Maximilian Franzreb inside the far post. With 15 points in 15 games to lead all scorers, Pföderl was named playoff MVP.

Five minutes after Pföderl’s goal, Manuel Wiederer added some insurance. That was more than enough offense, as Jake Hildebrand stopped all 25 shots he faced to record the shutout, and the Polar Bears were champions.

“Jake Hildebrand was incredible in the playoffs,” Berlin captain Kai Wissmann told the club's website. “We have incredible quality up front. Each individual has their part. Even the guys who didn’t play every game. And now we celebrate.”

“It's incredible,” said Berlin coach Serge Aubin. “I’m so happy for my players. I couldn’t be prouder of my team. We are like a family and have an incredible character in the team. I'm happy that my players were rewarded. We were ready from day one. In the playoffs, everyone took another step forward. I pay my respects to Bremerhaven. They played a great season and were an incredibly strong opponent. Everything was demanded of us in every single game.”

The finals were a match-up between the top two teams during the DEL regular season, with Bremerhaven finishing first and getting home-ice advantage. On home ice, the Pinguins opened with a 5-2 win but Berlin won four straight after that. To that point, it had been a dream season for the Pinguins, who were promoted to the DEL in 2016 and until this season, had never advanced beyond the quarterfinals.

Berlin has been slightly more successful – this is the team’s 10th DEL title in the last 20 years. Prior to that, under the name SC Dynamo Berlin, they won 15 East German titles from 1966 to 1988. That should be qualified though by stating that for most of that time, the East German league consisted of only two teams. The other team – SG Dynamo Weißwasser – still exists today as Lausitzer Füchse and plays in DEL2 – Germany’s second-tier pro league.