Defending champion Red Bull Munich has just averted another bankruptcy in the DEL at the start of the season.The champion of the last two years won the Krefeld Penguins only with much effort 3:2 (1:1,0:1,1:1,1:0,1:0,1:0) after extra time.
National striker Michael Wolf was the successful goalscorer after 3’20 “sudden death”.Last season, the Munich team lost 3-1 in Cologne on the first matchday.
Unlike the champion from Bavaria, the “vice” from the north had to make his way home defeated.The Grizzly’s Wolfsburg lost 3-6 (1-2,0-2,2-2,2-1) to Adler Mannheim in the top match of the first day.Twice David Wolf met 10,482 fans in front of the Mannheim SAP Arena for the Adler.
The seven-time German champion came off just as well as the Cologne sharks and the Nuremberg Ice Tigers, who were also among the favourites and who were successful in another game of the Eisbären Berlin after a 2-0 deficit with 4-2 (0-2,2-0,2-0,2-0).
After Berlin’s 2-0 win by André Rankel and Jens Baxmann, Patrick Reimer, Brandon Segal, Philippe Dupuis and Dane Fox played in front of 10,884 spectators.
Cologne prevailed against the Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven in front of 14,974 spectators in the home arena in a thrilling fight with 5:4 (1:0,2:2,1:1,1:0) after extra time.Blair Jones scored the acclaimed winner for the eight-time German champion after 4’43 “in extra time.
The Straubing Tigers won 4-2 (0-2,1-0,3-0,0-0) at the ERC Ingolstadt, the Augsburg Panthers also 4-2 (2-0,1-2,1-0) at the Düsseldorf EC and the Schwenninger Wild Wings 2-1 (1-1,0-0,0-0,1-0) after extra time at the Iserl.
In Krefeld, Nicolas St-Pierre led the penguins in front of 5051 spectators in the King’s Palace.National player Yannic Seidenberg was initially responsible for equalising Red Bull, but in the middle of the match Martin Schymainski shot the hosts in front.Newcomer Patrick Hager forced extra time in the penultimate minute with his equaliser.