Four wins from 38 games, statistically only 1.82 goals per game, but 4.37 goals conceded, plus a lot of quarrels within the team, the organization and those responsible: Probably no one who likes the Krefeld Penguins will try to to remember the 2020/21 PENNY DEL season even in its smallest form. At the latest, the season that has just started should make you forget what happened before.
However, there was no change in the goalkeeping position. With Sergei Belov and Nikita Quapp, two goalkeepers remained, who statistically could not shine with goals against goals of over four and well under 90 percent saved shots. However, it is not entirely fair to blame the two men between the posts for these disastrous values. Especially the just 18-year-old Quapp has shown potential and was not drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes by chance in the sixth round. To tie all hopes for a more successful season to such a talent would be simply naive.
The defense, however, was properly rebuilt. With the veteran Patrik Hersley and the Danish national player Jesper Jensen Aabo, a duo came from the Swedish club in Malmö, which not only brings experience but also offensive danger. Arturs Kulda and Dominik Tiffels were signed by the league competitors from Nuremberg and Cologne, respectively. Mirko Sacher and the young trio made up of Maximilian Gläßl, Tom-Eric Bappert and Philipp Mass complete the defense.
With Brett Olson and Artur Tjanulin, the Penguins lost their two top scorers from the previous season. At least Lucas Lessio stayed, who scored twelve goals last season. With Alexander Bergström from Jönköping, a physically strong, experienced Swede with a good understanding of the game was awarded a contract, the Slovenian Robert Sabolic still knows the DEL from his time in Ingolstadt, while the Russian Anton Berlyov was brought in primarily for the goal production. So far, however, the 24-year-old American Jeremy Bracco has particularly stood out. In the first three games, the 2015 Toronto Maple Leafs second-round draft pick collected three goals and one assists.
But even Bracco could not prevent the Penguins’ disappointing start to the season. With three defeats from the first three games of the still young PENNY DEL season 2021/22, head coach Clark Donatelli’s team is bottom of the table.
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