Monday, 23. March 2026 |
DEL Playoffs: Preview of the quarterfinal series against ERC Ingolstadt
The Red Bulls’ playoff beards are sprouting—we’re ready for the “most exciting” time of the year. “From now on, it’s all about hockey,” Oliver David emphasized in a major interview earlier this week. Together with his coaching staff, our coach has been preparing the team intensively over the past few days—but also with the necessary sense of ease—for the upcoming quarterfinal series against ERC Ingolstadt.
Both teams know each other well from their regular-season matchups, so there shouldn’t be many surprises left. The four games have already made it clear what to expect. And above all, they’ve shown where the Red Bulls’ strengths lie and how to beat Ingolstadt.
Secure remaining tickets now
Be there live as the best time of the year kicks off at SAP Garden. Secure remaining tickets now for the first quarterfinal game against Ingolstadt!
Limited access to Parkharfe and parking information
We currently strongly recommend that all visitors to our home games use public transportation for their arrival and departure. Due to construction work on Landshuter Allee, there will be restrictions on travel by car to the SAP Garden and Parkharfe until further notice.
In addition, events will once again be taking place in the Olympiapark concurrently with the first two playoff quarterfinal games, which will further increase traffic in the Parkharfe area.
“Expecting a hard-fought series”
Things are looking good from Munich’s perspective, as we’ve already had success against the Schanzers in recent months. Ingolstadt only managed to win the first game at home, 6–3; Munich won the next three games 2–0, 3–1, and 4–0. Notably: We were always successful when our team focused on defense and played a compact defensive game.
“We played well against Ingolstadt in the regular season, but the playoffs are the playoffs,” says Antoine Bibeau ahead of the series. Our goalie, who recorded a shutout in both home games against our Upper Bavarian rivals and stopped a total of 54 shots, is well aware of the Panthers’ strengths. “We know they’re a very fast team with a very good offense,” says the Canadian. Indeed: With 197 goals, Ingolstadt was the highest-scoring team in the regular season behind the Kölner Haie (200).
This means: “We’re expecting a hard-fought series and have to bring our A-game from Game One on,” Bibeau makes clear. If we can keep the strong ERC offense in check, we have every chance of advancing.
Comparison of the Special Teams
Power plays and penalty kills, in particular, are likely to play a very significant role, as they always do in the playoffs. Statistically, the two teams are neck and neck here.
While Munich had a 22.64 percent success rate on the power play during the regular season, Ingolstadt posted 21.95 percent. On the other hand, the ERC ranked second in penalty killing at 82.19 percent, just ahead of our guys (80.25 percent).
Highlights: EHC Red Bull München vs. ERC Ingolstadt (25.02.2026)
// DEL - HIGHLIGHTS
The oft-mentioned “little things”
Especially when playing shorthanded, a lot will depend on Fabio Wagner, who, in his first year in the Bavarian capital, has become an indispensable key player in Munich’s defense. A very special playoff quarterfinal awaits our defenseman—after all, he’s facing his former team. And the national team player is fired up: “We’re excited that it’s finally starting. Since it’s a derby, there will be a great atmosphere in both arenas,” said the Landshut native ahead of the opener.
And Wagner knows from years of experience exactly what matters most in crunch time. “In the end, it always comes down to the little things in the playoffs,” emphasizes our number 55. That means, among other things: winning battles, making the right decisions with the puck, delivering checks, and capitalizing on scoring chances.
A Series with History
In the thrilling 2023 DEL Finals series, this worked particularly well against Ingolstadt. Three years ago, the Red Bulls dominated the series with a 4-1 victory, securing the fourth championship title in the club’s history. Back then, in Game 5 at the sold-out Olympia Ice Stadium, Andreas Eder and Filip Varejcka sealed the deal in the final minutes, sparking wild celebrations.
The two clubs faced off for the first time in the playoffs during the 2020–21 season. That season was still marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the final round was played in a best-of-three format—Ingolstadt won the quarterfinal series 2–0.
Strong at home, but not in top form lately
Coach Mark French's team finished fifth this year with 94 points after the regular season. The ERC played particularly well in the first half of the season. For one thing, Ingolstadt won 14 home games in a row, setting a new club record. It’s no surprise that the Ingolstadt Panthers, along with Cologne (both with 60 points), were the best home team in the league. For another, the Panthers racked up eleven consecutive wins. However, the Red Bulls put an end to both streaks.
The past few weeks have been mixed overall for the Upper Bavarians. After the Olympic break, they managed only three wins while losing five games. The defense also faltered, though 152 goals allowed still ranks them fifth in the league.
Goal-scorer Barber voted “Forward of the Year”
Between the posts are either Brett Brochu or Devin Williams. The two goalies posted solid numbers, but neither was truly convincing. On the other hand, Alex Breton was once again among the top defensemen in the PENNY DEL. The hard-shooting Canadian tallied 15 goals and 35 assists; only Nicolas Mattinen (Adler Mannheim) managed 50 points as a defenseman.
On offense, Riley Barber demonstrated his full class in his first year in Germany. The American scored 32 goals and shared the scoring title with Liam Kirk (Eisbären Berlin). He also added 31 assists, bringing the PENNY DEL “Forward of the Year” to 63 points. Only Evan Barratt (65, Nürnberg Ice Tigers) had more points.
Of course, none of this matters anymore; the slate is being wiped clean. “We want to stick to our game plan and play to our strengths,” Wagner concludes.
“WE RUN THIS TOWN”!
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Das Derby gegen Ingolstadt in Bildern (25.02.2026)
An overview of the playoff quarterfinal games:
Quarterfinal 1: Tuesday, March 24, 7:00 p.m. | EHC Red Bull München – ERC Ingolstadt – Get tickets
Quarterfinal 2: Friday, March 27, 7:30 p.m. | ERC Ingolstadt – EHC Red Bull München
Quarterfinal 3: Sunday, March 29, 7:00 PM | EHC Red Bull München – ERC Ingolstadt – sold out
Quarterfinal 4: Tuesday, March 31, 7:30 PM | ERC Ingolstadt – EHC Red Bull München
Quarterfinal 5: April 2* | EHC Red Bull München – ERC Ingolstadt
Quarterfinal 6: April 4* | ERC Ingolstadt – EHC Red Bull München
Quarterfinal 7: April 6* | EHC Red Bull München – ERC Ingolstadt
*if necessary – times to be determined
Game 3 of the quarterfinals is sold out – secure your remaining tickets for Tuesday’s playoff derby now// TICKETS
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