Peter Regin cannot control the puck jumping up in front of goalkeeper Felix Brückmann in Mannheim Photo: City Press
From BZ/dpa
The Eisbären Berlin are still looking for form in the German Ice Hockey League (DEL).
On Friday evening, the German champions lost 4-2 (0-1, 1-1, 1-2) against Adler Mannheim and suffered their fourth defeat in the fifth game of the season. Kevin Clark and Zach Boychuk scored for the capitals, who again revealed weaknesses in all areas.
In front of 10,986 spectators in the arena at Ostbahnhof, Mannheim were the more dangerous team at the beginning. Borna Rendulic scored in the first power play for the guests. The Berliners only became more determined in the final phase of the opening third, but did not use their opportunities.
Missed opportunity: Jonas Müller (right) misses the Mannheim goal in this scene Photo: City Press
In the second half of the game, both teams initially made a large number of bad passes, and very little happened in front of the goals. After Clark’s somewhat surprising equalizer, the hosts improved, but shortly before the second break Markus Eisenschmid put Mannheim ahead again.
In the final third, the polar bears kept trying, but rarely became dangerous against the concentrated defenders from the Palatinate. With his second goal, Rendulic extended the guests’ lead when they played with a double majority.
Polar bear Julian Melchiori (right) in a duel with Markus Eisenschmid from the Adler Mannheim Photo: City Press
Boychuk was able to shorten the gap again shortly before the end, before Nicolas Krämmer made the final decision in Mannheim’s favour, seconds before the end of the game.