Munich, Germany - The Berlin Eisbären are back on top of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) after gameday 13. However, Thursday’s close win over Ingolstadt was overshadowed by a controversial goal. On Friday, the Augsburger Panther got thrashed by the Düsseldorfer EG Metro Stars. Elsewhere, defending champs Krefeld Pinguine managed to snap their five-game win streak.

Berlin wins after controversial goal – Ingolstadt files protest

David Roberts scored a pair of goals and two assists as the Berlin Eisbären edged ERC Ingolstadt 5-4 (2-2, 2-1, 1-1). Mark Beaufait also tallied twice. Despite being outshot 38-27 over three periods, Berlin managed to maintain its perfect home record.

Ingolstadt filed a protest with the league because of Berlin’s controversial go-ahead score. on On an early power-play 5:56 into the contest, David Roberts backhanded the puck over ERC goaltender Jimmy Waite’s shoulder. Although TV replays showed that the puck hit the framework and never crossed the goal line, referee Willy Schimm allowed the score after video review despite inconclusive visual evidence. Under league rules, only one camera angle - an overhead shot of the goal crease - is used for replays.

Ingolstadt bounced back and tied the game on a goal by Niki Mondt midway through the period. Mark Beaufait’s first goal of the night put Berlin ahead 2-1with 3:30 to go in the first, but only 24 seconds later, Cameron Mann knotted the contest at 2-2 with his first goal of the season. The momentum seemed to shift when Alexander Polaczek put Ingolstadt up 3-2 halfway through the middle frame, knocking a shot through Eisbären goalie Rich Parent’s five-hole. However Berlin responded with three unanswered goals. Roberts tucked home the rebound of a shot from defenseman Keith Aldridge for the 3-3 equalizer. Just over two minutes later, Roberts sent Denis Pederson on a short-handed breakaway to put Berlin ahead 4-3 with 3:37 left in the second. Roberts set up another breakaway goal on the man advantage early in the third. After his backhand feed, Beaufait extended the Eisbären lead to two goals 3:05 into the final stanza. A mighty slap-shot by defender Phil von Stefenelli brought Ingolstadt within a goal with over eight minutes left. Despite a five-minute major plus game misconduct penalty for Eisbären defender Brad Bergen, Berlin managed to hold on to the lead.

Düsseldorf’s offensive outburst shocks Augsburg

Steffen Karg’s second start of the season lasted only 5:36 as the Augsburger Panther were crushed by the Düsseldorfer EG Metro Stars on the road, 7-1 (4-1, 1-0, 2-0). With first-line center Tore Vikingstad sidelined with an injury, DEG coach Mike Komma had to reshuffle his lines. He found a perfect combination in Christian Brittig, Matthias Hart and Trond Magnussen, who teamed up for five goals. 37-year-old center Brittig, who returned to the DEL this season after four years in the minors, tallied five assists while wingmen Hart and Magnussen each scored a pair of power-play goals for Düsseldorf, which converted 5 of 9 power-play opportunities. Magnussen also recorded an assist.

Karg stopped only two shots and conceded three goals as Düsseldorf jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead behind back-to-back power-play goals from Hart and a tally from Mike Pellegrims. Hart went top-shelf on both scores while Pellegrims beat Karg with a screened point blast.
Duanne Moeser cut the lead to 3-1 with Ausgburg’s lone goal of the night, deflecting a shot by Shawn Anderson past DEG netminder Alexander Jung on the man advantage halfway through the period. Defenseman Jeff Tory extended Düsseldorf’s lead to 4-1 late in the first, ripping a shot through the legs of Augsburg’s regular starter Magnus Eriksson, who had replaced the hapless Karg six minutes into the contest despite suffering from post-concussion headaches. Düsseldorf put the game away with three consecutive power-play tallies from Magnussen (2) and Daniel Kreutzer.

Frankfurt rallies for win

Pat Lebeau scored three points and added the game-winning conversion in the penalty shootout as the Franfurt Lions rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit to down the Hannover Scorpions on the road, 4-3 (0-2, 2-1, 1-0, 1-0). Hanover drew first blood when Zdenek Nedved ripped a slapshot from the top of the right faceoff circle past Lions goalie Ian Gordon on the man advantage six minutes into the game. Jeff Christian doubled the lead late in the period. Frankfurt’s Dwayne Norris turned the puck over inside his own blueline, Len Soccio sent it towards the net and Christian redirected it to make it 2-0 with 1:03 to go. Defenseman Peter Ratchuk brought the Lions back into the game when he tucked home his own rebound on a shorthanded 2-on-1 breakaway 7:45 into the middle frame. Hanover regained a two-goal lead when Andrej Teljukin scored after a solo effort four minutes later. With 32 seconds to go in the second period, Norris worked the puck free behind the Scorpions net, Jesse Belanger picked it up, pulled to the front of the net and found Lebeau on the right side of the crease to cut Hanover’s lead to 3-2 at the second intermission. Frankfurt tied the game at 3-3 on a power-play midway through the final period when Paul Stanton redirected a point blast from fellow defenseman Ratchuk past Scorpions goalie Ilpo Kauhanen.

Jiranek scores no. 150 as Nürnberg routs Freiburg

Rookie Josef Menauer tallied two goals as the Nürnberg Ice Tigers routed expansion team Freiburg Wölfe at home, 7-0 (0-0, 4-0, 3-0). Martin Jiranek recorded three points, including his 150th career goal. After a scoreless first, Vitalij Aab broke the deadlock with a wrap-around goal 1:44 into the middle frame. Nuremberg’s Alfie Michaud stopped 21 shots en route to his first shutout of the season.

Krefeld, Mannheim win after penalty shootout

Late heroics from Rob Guillet helped defending champions Krefeld Pinguine snap their five-game losing streak. After squandering an early two-goal lead, Guillet scored the late game-tying goal and added the game-winning conversion in the penalty shootout as the Krefeld Pinguine edged the Iserlohn Roosters on the road, 4-3 (1-0, 1-2, 1-1, 1-0). Krefeld was up 2-0 at the game’s midway point after tallies from Chris Kelleher and Chris Herperger. But Iserlohn turned the momentum and scored three straight to take a 3-2 lead 8:39 into the final frame. Sean King and Bryan Adams (on the power-play with a second to go in the period) had tied it at 2-2 at the second intermission. Matt Henderson cashed in on a 5-on-3 advantage to put Iserlohn ahead before Guillet redirected a shot from Kelleher into the net to knot the score at three apiece at the end of regulation.

Andy Roach scored the game-winner as the Mannheim Adler wrestled down the Kölner Haie at home, 4-3 (0-1, 2-1, 1-1, 1-0) after penalty shootout. Mike Kennedy (1G, 1A) and Derek Plante (2A) both tallied two points for Mannheim. Sebastian Furchner notched a pair of goals for Cologne.