With their third home defeat in a row, league leaders Eisbären Berlin have lost their lead in the German Ice Hockey League (DEL).
The DEL record champions surprisingly lost 1:4 (1:0, 0:3, 0:1) in front of their own audience against Düsseldorfer EG. The pursuers Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven and Straubing Tigers drew level on points: Bremerhaven defeated the Nuremberg Ice Tigers 3:1 (2:1, 0:0, 1:0), Straubing won 3:2 (2:0, 1 :1, 0:1) at the Kölner Haien.
Defending champion Red Bull Munich has slipped deep into crisis: Former national coach Toni Söderholm’s team experienced a debacle in the derby at the Augsburg Panthers with 2:7 (1:1, 0:5, 1:1) and suffered their third defeat in the third DEL game after the Germany Cup break.
In addition, the champions, who slipped to ninth place, were already eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16 against Servette Geneva last Wednesday.
The struggling title contender Adler Mannheim convinced after two home defeats with a 4:1 (1:0, 2:1, 1:0) against the Grizzlys Wolfsburg. The Schwenninger Wild Wings, who won 4:3 (2:0, 1:2, 0:1, 1:0) after extra time at the Löwen Frankfurt, continue to hold their own in the top group.
The Eisbären took an early lead through Patrice Cormier (6th), but then gave up the game against the worst offense in the league to date. Brendan O’Donnell (23rd/32nd), Moritz Wirth (25th) and Phil Varone (48th) scored for DEG. In Augsburg, Munich conceded five goals within twelve minutes in the second third, with TJ Trevelyan scoring three times alone.