Munich, Germany - The meeting of the league’s top two teams turned into a real thriller. The Berlin Eisbären were just 28 seconds away from extending their lead over the second-place Adler Mannheim to six points. Instead, the gap between the two has melted to a point after a late Adler rally.

Berlin seemed on route to its eight straight win when Mark Beaufait gave the Eisbären their second lead of the night, 4-3, with just over six minutes to go in regulation. Mannheim, which had taken an early 2-0 lead, rallied back though. Stefan Ustorf tied the game with only 28 seconds left. Jason Podollan converted the decisive penalty shot to give the Adler a 5-4 (1-0, 1-3, 2-1, 1-0) OT road win.

Two first period goals by defenseman Mirko Lüdemann was all the Kölner Haie needed to down expansion team ERC Ingolstadt on the road, 2-0 (2-0, 0-0, 0-0). Ingolstadt started out very strong, but was denied again and again by outstanding Haie netminder Chris Rogles, who registered his first shutout of the season. With just over seven minutes to go in the first, Lüdemann hammered a slapshot past screened ERC goalie Ilpo Kauhanen from the deep left slot after a dump pass from Alex Hicks. His second goal three minutes later almost looked like a carbon copy. This time, a feed from Dwayne Norris got deflected right to Lüdemann who one-timed the puck past Kauhanen. Ingolstadt blew the best chance to get back into the game when they failed to capitalize on a 28-second two-man advantage late in the second period.

Iserlohn routs Hannover, Kassel’s slump continues

Steve Washburn had two goals and an assist as the Iserlohn Roosters stunned the Hannover Scorpions 7-0 (2-0, 3-0, 2-0) on home ice. Roosters netminder Jimmy Waite recorded his second straight shutout.

Neal Martin came up with the game-winner on a controversial two-man advantage late in the game as the Schwenningen Wild Wings recorded their second win of the season, downing the slumping Kassel Huskies 3-2 (1-1, 1-1, 1-0). Kassel’s Zdenek Nedved scored two goals, including an amazing solo effort capped off by one-handing the puck past Wild Wings goalie Ian Gordon, but couldn’t avoid Kassel’s fifth straight loss.

Martin Jiranek converted the winning attempt in the overtime penalty shootout as the Nuremberg Ice Tigers handed the Frankfurt Lions their first home loss of the season, 5-4 (3-1, 0-1, 1-2, 1-0). Frankfurt rallied back from Nuremberg’s early 3-1 lead, taking a 4-3 lead behind three unanswered goals within a four-minute span shortly before and after the second intermission. Rob Guillet’s tally with 8:49 to go sent the contest into OT.