It’s said that defense wins championships, and when the Frölunda Indians and Red Bull Munich meet in next week’s Champions Hockey League final, it might be the best goalie on the night that gives his team a chance at lifting the trophy.
Over the course of this year’s tournament, a lot has been said about the potent offense of Frölunda, while defensively both sides have been fantastic to get to this point. Danny aus den Birken has been a brick wall in the Munich cage, while Frölunda have opted to split time between their goaltending duo of Johan Gustafsson and Johan Matsson but will be expected to go with 26-year-old Gustafsson in the final. With Matsson currently sidelined, Frölunda will need to call up Tex Williamsson from Allsvenskan side Tingsryds AIF on an emergency basis in the meantime.
Frölunda come into their fourth CHL final as the tournament’s top scoring team with 47 goals through the 12 games it’s taken to get them to this point, with former CHL MVP Ryan Lasch leading the tournament with 21 points.
With so many weapons on attack for Frölunda, it’s going to be a big test for Danny aus den Birken, but he’s shown over his career that he’s more than capable of turning up for big games.
The 33-year-old has had an impressive last couple of seasons, backstopping Red Bull Munich to three straight DEL Championships, as well as impressing at the 2018 Winter Olympics - earning best netminder honours as he helped the German national side to their first medal in Olympic Ice Hockey since 1976, and their first ever silver medal.
Through 10 CHL games this season, he’s got an incredible .933 save percentage, allowing an average of 1.79 goals a game. The experienced aus den Birken will need to put in yet another impressive performance next week to help Munich have a chance in the final, coming in against the tournaments best attack, which also has a great defensive unit in front of their equally impressive goaltending.
With Johan Gustafsson expected to get the start in the final, he’ll have to deal with the CHL’s leading goalscorer Trevor Parkes who has nine goals on the campaign. While Gustafsson’s save percentage overall is slightly lower at .919 percent, his 1.64 goals against average leads the tournament among netminders who’ve made over five appearances in this year’s competition.
At 6’2”, Gustafsson is a decent sized goalie who has proven himself in his young career as a great netminder on a competitive team. Since returning from a two-year stint in North America, Gustafsson has been a key part of Frölunda’s success, helping the team to two Champions Hockey League titles, an SHL playoff title and three straight top three finishes in league action.
In the two CHL titles he's already won, Gustafsson played a big part during the success in the 2016/17 campaign, featuring 10 times, finishing with an impressive .924 save percentage.
While both sides have impressed defensively, the edge in the netminding battle goes to Munich's Danny aus den Birken who leads the tournament with three shutouts, including two in the knockout rounds against EV Zug and Red Bull Salzburg.