The crisis-ridden Cologne sharks left two more important points behind in the race for play-off places in the DEL. The eight-time champion lost a 2:1 lead in the small Rheinderby against Krefeld Penguins shortly before the end and lost 2:3 (1:0,0:1,1:1,0:0,0,0:1) after penalty shooting.
It was Shawn Lalonde, the last defender to be disembarked, who had shot the sharks on the winning lane.
The Canadian, who had not been taken into account by coach Peter Draisaitl for the previous two matches, scored 2-1 (48th) on his return. He had already prepared the early 1-0 by Nicolas Krämmer (1st).
For Krefeld, Dragan Umicevic (39th) and Markus Nordlund – 42 seconds before the end – equalled twice. Justin Feser changed the decisive penalty.
With their fourth defeat in the last five games, Cologne missed out on the sixth place in the standings, which will give them the chance to participate in the quarter-finals. Krefeld remains penultimate.
Shortly before the match, Lalonde’s dream of Olympia had burst. The Canadian was not called into his homeland’s squad for the Pyeongchang Winter Games.
On the other hand, his Cologne team mate Justin Peters belongs to the 25-strong squad of the “Ahornblätter”. The goalkeeper, however, had to give the Swede Gustaf Wesslau the right of way against Krefeld on Thursday evening.