Düsseldorfer eG lost the relegation thriller in the DEL at the Augsburg Panthern on Tuesday evening with 1: 5 (1: 1, 0: 1, 0: 3).
Before the final 52nd matchday, the Panther handed over the last place in the table to Düsseldorf. The DEG then meets Wolfsburg (Friday, 07.03.2025 at 7.30 p.m.) and is dependent on shooting aid in order to make up for a place and avoid the relegation zone.
The Düsseldorfers presented themselves too hesitantly after a good start, were little opposed to the force of the bottom of the table and lost well. The horror scenario of descent is now becoming increasingly realistic for the traditional club and eight-time masters. Augsburg has no unbeatable opponent in front of his chest in Iserlohn on the last match day and can bag the relegation with a win.
“We had our fate in our own hands and didn’t make it,” said Düsseldorf’s top scorer Brendan O’Donnell after the game at Magenta. “You were the better team. We just weren’t there. The result speaks for itself.”
Team colleague Laurin Braun was also deeply disappointed: “We have been in our hands for two weeks and forgiven every match ball. It’s just not good.”
Tension, goals, spectacle
The starting point before the game was clear: Augsburg was able to move to Düsseldorf with a win after 60 minutes. If the DEG won, it would have saved it early and the AEV would surely last bottom of the table. A constellation that promised a lot of tension and for crackling atmosphere in the Augsburg Curt-Frenzel Stadium.
The DEG started actively and noticed through intensive forechecking. The first shots of goal found Augsburg goalkeeper Strauss husband, it was not clear that it was the panther who urgently needed victory. For the first time, man was powerless in the 8th minute when Düsseldorf’s Tyler Gaudet fell from the blue line and swept him into the goal under Mann.
DEG leaves decisively
But Augsburg then found the game. First captain Anrei Hakulinen failed on the well -reacting Haukeland (8th minute of the game), shortly afterwards the Panther raised a convincing power play: Thomas Schemitsch balanced the puck on the post, shortly afterwards Chris Collins had the free goal in front of him, but shot over the goal.
The hit fell, however, when the DEG was complete again. The striking Schemitsch prevailed over the right and considered the castle past Haukeland into the right corner (16th). In this phase there was hardly anything from Düsseldorf, rather it was Keeper Haukeland who held the DEG in the game.
Momentum at the Panthers
The second third also went to the home side. The Panther turned the game after a handsome double pass, Florian Elias hammered the puck in the left Knick – 2-1 for Augsburg, which the DEG overtook in the table in the meantime.
The DEG seemed shocked, hardly anything went forward in the middle third. The game mainly took place in front of the guests’ goal. Düsseldorf’s Alexander Blank stated at Magenta before the final third: “We made too many mistakes, which must not happen in such a game. They have the momentum, the hall trembling”.
DEG collects 1: 3 outnumbered
However, the momentum remained with the gatenders. Augsburg used an early majority to earn another chance for Collins, which failed again on Haukeland. Even an outnumbered after punishment against Elias did not help the DEG to come back into the game. On the contrary: Jason Bast used an outnumber of 3-1 for the Panther (45th).
It came even worse for the DEG, which now revealed huge gaps on the defensive. Donald Busdecker completed a renewed fast pace of the speed of the Panther for the 4-1 lead (46th). The DEG fans who traveled with them spread horrified, the Augsburg appendix cheered.
The Düsseldorf team got up and tried to make the game exciting again, but the Panther defensive was good. Augsburg was limited to defense in the final phase and often simply played the puck from his own third to ensure relief.
Showdown on the last match day
An Empty-Net goal by Christian Hanke even made a bit of a bit of disappointment for the 5: 1-for Düsseldorf, which had the class. This leads to a heartbeat final on the last matchday of the regular season.
And the advantage lies with the Augsburgers, who are placed in front of the DEG due to the better goal difference and meet Iserlohn, for which it is no longer about anything. Düsseldorf’s opponent Wolfsburg, on the other hand, is still fighting for the play-in games.
