Red Bull Munich has given up the lead of the standings. The champion was the only team from the top trio to lose 2:4 (0:0,1:2,1:2,1:2) at the Schwenninger Wild Wings and thus slipped to third place.
Before the direct duel with Munich on Saturday, the Nuremberg Ice Tigers are the new front runners. The Franconians won 5-3 against the Krefeld Penguins (1-0,2-1,2-2). The former serial champion Eisbären Berlin won the Augsburg Panthers 4:2 (1:0,1:0,2:2) and improved to second place.
With a respectable backlog to the top three, last year’s finalist Grizzly’s Wolfsburg remains fourth. A 3:4 (1:2,0:0,2:2) didn’t change that for the Straubing Tigers. Schwennigen is fifth in front of the Cologne sharks on the last direct play-off place six. The Domstädter won 4:3 (1:0,2:1,0:2,2:2,1:0,1:0) after extra time at the Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven.
Seven-time champion Adler Mannheim dropped to eleventh place with a 3:5 (1:3,0:1,2:1) at Iserlohn Roosters. Thus, the Adler would not qualify themselves for the preliminary round of the play-offs. The ERC Ingolstadt defeated the Duesseldorf EC 4-0 (1-0,1-0,1-0,2-0).