The Adler Mannheim have stopped the Kölner Haie’s winning streak in the German Ice Hockey League (DEL). In the summit meeting, the third-place team defeated the leaders 5:1 (1:0, 2:1, 2:0) and inflicted only the second defeat in the last 22 games on the Rhinelanders, who had already been declared winners of the main round.
The Cologne team initially missed the record of 116 points that the Mannheim team set in 2019. The Sharks still have three games left and they currently have 113 points. The Straubing Tigers claimed second place with a 5:3 (2:1, 1:1, 2:1) win against the Schwenninger Wild Wings. Fourth-placed Red Bull Munich won 4:1 (0:0, 2:1, 2:0) against Grizzlys Wolfsburg.
Defending champions Eisbären Berlin made it to sixth place, which leads directly to the playoff quarter-finals. The DEL record champions, whose national player Korbinian Geibel is out for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury, prevailed 5:4 (0:0, 3:2, 2:2) against the Nuremberg Ice Tigers. The Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven slipped to seventh place after losing 2:3 (0:0, 2:2, 0:1) against ERC Ingolstadt.
Former Cologne player Justin Schütz, who was only a benchwarmer at the Olympics in Milan, gave Mannheim the lead (15th). Ryan MacInnis equalized for the Haie (36th). A double strike within 15 seconds by Kris Bennett and again Schütz (38th) made the Eagles celebrate again. At the beginning of the final third, Brendan O’Donnell (43′) and John Gilmour (45′) made the decision.
In Nuremberg, Marcel Noebels (23rd), Jean-Sebastien Dea (26th) and Yannick Veilleux (29th) gave the Eisbären a 3-1 lead in just over six minutes. In the final section, Eric Hördler (52nd) and Liam Kirk secured victory for Berlin with his 32nd goal of the season (58th).
