Munich, Germany - Behind great goaltending from Boris Rousson and strikes from Derek King and Shane Peacock, the top-seeded Munich Barons managed to rebound from Friday’s heart-breaking loss. The Barons edged the Augsburg Panthers 2-1 on the road, evening their first round playoff series at 1-1 Sunday. Two other favorites continued to struggle and are already on the edge of elimination.

Defending champion Mannheim Adler (2nd seed) managed to tie its series with the Berlin Eisbären (7) thanks to a 3-2 road win. Dave Tomlinson scored the game-winner late in the second when he deflected a shot by Andy Roach past Eisbären netminder Richard Shulmistra. Two higher-seeded teams are already on the edge of elimination. The Kassel Huskies (4) registered their second win over the Nuremberg Ice Tigers (4) on a late goal by Klaus Kathan who ripped a shot past Tigers netminder Frederic Chabot with less than 90 seconds to go. Cologne also leads its series 2-0.

The Kölner Haie (6) wrestled down the Krefeld Pinguine (3) 4-3 at home. Alex Hicks’s wrap-around score against Eric Fichaud had given Cologne a 3-1 lead early in the third. Jeff Christian brought Krefeld back with less than four minutes to go, but an empty-netter by Corey Millen put the game out-of-reach before Sergej Stas’s late goal capped the scoring.

In Augsburg, the sellout crowd of 7,774 got to see vintage Barons hockey. Although the Panthers dominated the game, it was Munich that came out on top 2-1.

"It was another great playoff game from two good teams,“ Barons head coach Sean Simpson remarked, “tight, exciting and with two good goalies. It wasn’t too healthy for the coaches’ hearts, though.”

Munich gets off to good start

Augsburg had the first big scoring opportunity of the game when Igor Alexandrov’s wrap-around attempt was denied by Barons goalie Boris Rousson. It was Munich that drew first blood, though, 6:20 into the game. While skating four aside because of matching minors to Augsburg’s Rob Guillet and Munich’s Hans Lodin, Derek Plante picked up a loose puck near the right boards at center ice and took it back into his own zone. He changed directions and moved along his own blueline. When a Panthers forechecker started to attack him, Plante quickly released a diagonal feed that found Derek King at the opposing blueline. King skated into the Augsburg zone all alone and beat goaltender Magnus Eriksson with a wrister from the near slot to give the Barons a 1-0 lead.

For the remainder of the period, the Panthers pressed for the equalizer. A shot by defenseman Christian Lukes rang off the goalpost, sniper Rob Guillet was denied by Rousson twice.

Rosen has goal disallowed

Johan Rosen apparently doubled Munich’s lead early in the second when he knocked the puck into the net from the doorstep. But his goal was disallowed because of a preceding hand pass from Peter Abstreiter. Although Augsburg kept on penetrating Munich’s net, the Barons had another huge scoring opportunity when David Oliver stole the puck from a defenseman in the slot but was denied by Eriksson.

The Barons caught a big break when Augsburg failed to convert on a 3:27 powerplay opportunity midway through the second, including a 35 second two-man advantage (penalties to Hans Lodin and Jason Herter). Boris Rousson bailed Munich out again and again. His most spectacular save came on a solo effort by Igor Alexandrov. Rousson robbed him, diving across the crease to clog the empty net with his stick. With time winding down in the second, Johan Rosen’s feed from behind the net found Munich’s Mike Kennedy right in front of the crease, but his shot missed the Augsburg net by inches.

Peacock’s lucky game-winner

Although Augsburg continued to dominate, Munich came up with the 2-0 early in the final period. Hans Lodin moved the puck out of his own zone and passed it over to fellow-defender Shane Peacock who sped through the neutral zone and unleashed a slapshot while crossing the blueline. Deflected by an Augsburg defensemen, the puck sailed past Eriksson’s glove into the triangle to put the Barons up 2-0 at 44:35, Peacock’s second postseason goal.

The Panthers responded five minutes later when defenseman Tommy Jakobsen knocked down a clearing attempt by Peacock out of mid-air at the point. He quickly cut through Munich’s defense and lifted the puck past Rousson with a backhand shot from the near slot to get Augsburg to within a goal, 2-1 at 50:11.

But Rousson spoiled all dreams of another comeback and Munich held on to the win the even the series at one game apiece.

Barons defenseman Kent Fearns got slashed into the face in the waning seconds of the game. "He’s got a cut below his eye,” his relieved head coach Sean Simpson explained, "otherwise, he’s ok, though.”

Game three of the best-of-five series will be played in Munich on Tuesday.

Augsburg Panther - Munich Barons 1-2 (0-1, 0-0, 1-1)
Scoring: 0-1 (6:20) Derek King (Derek Plante, Jason Herter - 4:4), 0-2 (44:35) Shane Peacock (Simon Wheeldon, Hans Lodin - 4:4), 1-2 (50:11) Tommy Jakobsen.
Penalties: Augsburg 14, Munich 14.
Power Plays: Augsburg 0 of 3 (447 sec), Munich 0 of 4 (480 sec).
Shots on Goal: Augsburg 27 (8:9:10), Munich 33 (10:13:10).
Goalies: Magnus Eriksson (Augsburg), Boris Rousson (Munich).
Referee: Ralph Dimmers (Krefeld). Linesmen: Hermann Holzmann, Alexander Schmid.
Attendance: 7,774 (sellout- Curt-Frenzel-Stadion, Augsburg).
Series is tied, 1-1 (best-of-five).