The Kölner Haie have consolidated their position in the top group of the DEL with a win in Straubing. Iserlohn also won.
The Haie beat the Tigers 2-0 (0-0, 0-0, 2-0) on Friday evening and celebrated their third win in a row. With the three points, the Domstadt team also moved level with third-placed Straubing in the table.
Always scuffles
In the first third, the Haie remained largely harmless offensively, but they also survived two Straubing power plays without conceding a goal. In the second half of the game, the first penalty went to the Haie again, in the person of Louis-Marc Aubry. But Cologne also survived this outnumbered situation without scoring a goal. A little later, Aubry received a ten-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Cologne’s first power play, which followed a scuffle between Gregor MacLeod and Danjo Leonhardt, also ended without a goal (32′). MacLeod remained fully involved afterwards. A brawl between several players ended with penalty times for Straubing’s Ryan Merkley and Mario Zimmermann (as well as MacLeod again. This was followed by a four-minute 5-on-4 majority for the Haie, which they were unable to take advantage of, even when Oliwer Kaski hit the post (35th).
Kaski with the 1-0, Russell into the empty goal
Things remained heated in the final third. A chance from Cologne’s Nate Schnarr was followed by the next scuffle and the next four-minute advantage for the Haie. Once again the Haie found it difficult to produce good finishes. The few chances were either blocked or saved by the strong Henrik Haukeland. In equal numbers, however, the spell finally broke. Kaski scored with a powerful shot from the top of the face-off circle to make it 1-0 for Cologne (47th).
Even after that, both teams continued to scuffle and there were more penalty times. Straubing now pushed for the equalizer and was repeatedly denied by Janne Juvonen in the Haie goal. For the Haie, MacLeod missed the decisive 2-0 in the 52nd minute. Two minutes before the end, Straubing took the goalkeeper off the ice. But Juvonen was impossible for the Tigers to beat that evening. Instead, Patrick Russell scored into the empty goal seconds before the end to make the final score 2-0 (60th).
Iserlohn surprisingly defeats Munich
The Iserlohn Roosters were also able to celebrate a victory. In the home game against the fifth-placed team, the penultimate team surprisingly managed a 3-1 (2-1, 1-0, 0-0) win and thus only their third “threesome” of the season.
With the self-confidence from the win in the basement duel against Dresden behind them, the Roosters used their first advantage to make it 1-0 through Anthony Camara (7th) in front of 4,025 spectators at Seilersee. This lead lasted for ten minutes, then Grabriel Fontaine equalized for Munich (17th). But the Roosters immediately took the lead again. Once again it was Camara who scored for the Sauerlanders (19th).
Three and a half minutes had been played in the second third, then Henrik Törnqvist extended the Roosters’ lead (24′). A penalty against Camara for tripping earned Munich a power play, but Iserlohn survived without conceding a goal. The final third began with a penalty against Daniel Fischbuch. However, the guests’ power play remained without a goal. Nevertheless, the Munich team continued to increase the pressure, but repeatedly failed because of Hendrik Hane in the IEC box. So it remained the IEC’s celebrated home win.
Cologne on Sunday in Berlin
On Sunday the Haie will continue away at the Eisbären Berlin (2 p.m.). The Iserlohn Roosters welcome the Augsburg Panthers in the afternoon (4:30 p.m.).
Our sources:
- Play Straubing Tigers against Kölner Haie and Iserlohn Roosters against EHC Munich on November 28th
- DEL homepage
