GERMANY – Approaching the halfway mark of the 2009/10 season things in the DEL’s overall standings are starting to take shape. On top the Eisbären Berlin (Polar Bears) still seem very much in control. Although they are not quite as dominant as they were at the very beginning of the season, they comfortably lead the pack with 50 points after 24 games. Four points back the Frankfurt Lions (24 g/46 pts) have taken over the role of the first pursuers – and in that respect have replaced the somewhat stumbling Adler Mannheim . Of a possible 18 points in November the Eagles only managed to collect seven. For now they have landed in third place (25 g/43 pts). Still surprisingly strong are the Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg who for many more or less unnoticed have firmly established themselves among the top four (24 g/42 pts).
Behind them the Düsseldorf Metro Stars (23 g/38 pts) finally seem to have found somewhat of a rhythm, although they are still not quite living up the potential that their roster promises on paper. Similar can be said about the Ingolstadt Panthers (25 g/38 pts). But they for sure know how to entertain their fans. Their last eight home games were very high-scoring affairs, as the Panthers outscored their opponents 42-35.
In seventh place we find the Nuremberg Ice Tigers – a team I was tempted to write off from serious playoff contention in my last roundup a little over a month ago. My apologies to coach Andy Brockmann and his men, who turned in the best record for the month of November, collecting 20 points in eight games.
While the Ice Tigers turned things around for the better the Panthers from nearby Augsburg (24 g/35 pts) suffered through a nightmare in the last couple of weeks, falling from third at the end of October to currently eight spot. That is why they find themselves in the middle of a large group of teams hovering around this all important tenth place, last entrance to pre-playoffs.
This rather tightly packed bunch consists of Iserlohn Roosters, Hannover Scorpions (24 g/33 pts each), Kölner Haie (Cologne Sharks, 25 g/32 pts), Hamburg Freezers (25 g/31 pts – managed an equally impressive turnaround as Nuremberg with 18 points in eight games in November), Kassel Huskies (23 g/30 pts) and Straubing Tigers (23 g/29 pts). Dead last are the Krefeld Pinguine (24 g/25 pts).
Which finally leads us to what the headline has been hinting at: After Friday’s game (a 1-3 home loss against the Sharks) Krefeld fired coach Martin Jiranek. This comes just two weeks after the dismissal of Jiri Ehrenberger. Chances are that the Penguins might welcome back their “lost son” Igor Pavlov, who himself got released of his coaching duties some 40 miles up the Rhine river in Cologne last Wednesday. New man in charge on the Sharks’ bench is Bill Stewart.
Contact: carsten.vanzanten@prohockeynews.com
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