The Kölner Haie are still in a class of their own in the German Ice Hockey League (DEL).
The leaders celebrated their tenth win in a row at the Nuremberg Ice Tigers with a 4:2 (0:1, 4:1, 0:0). With their 16th success in the last 17 matches, coach Kari Jalonen’s team increased their lead over their hunters to nine points.
The Rhinelanders benefited from the clear 1:4 (0:3, 1:0, 0:1) defeat of the previous second-placed Adler Mannheim at the Straubing Tigers. As a result, Bayern moved past the Electoral Palatinate and are now Cologne’s first pursuers. Former champions EHC Red Bull Munich, on the other hand, were unable to overtake the Adler with their third defeat in a row with 2:3 (1:0, 0:2, 1:1) on their own ice against defending champions Eisbären Berlin and even fell back to fifth place behind ERC Ingolstadt (6:3 against second-to-last Löwen Frankfurt).
Meanwhile, the Schwenninger Wilds Wings consolidated their pre-play-off place. With their 4:3 win against the Grizzlys Wolfsburg after a penalty shootout (2:2, 0:1, 1:0, 0:0, 1:0), the Black Forest team moved within one point of their neighbors at the top of the table.