Cologne and Düsseldorf qualify for DEL quarter finals

17 Mar 2012 | Dennis Mende

In this year's DEL pre-playoffs Cologne and Düsseldorf had few problems to qualify in just two games

Augsburger Panther (8.) - Kölner Haie (9.) 0:2

Cologne was the last team to qualify for the pre-playoffs after a great winning streak to the end of the regular season. As 9th placed team they had to face 8th placed Augsburg in the pre-playoffs. The first game in Augsburg, against one of the strongest home sides of the league, saw a surprisingly dominant Cologne which won 5-1 on Wednesday. Just one day later, on Thursday, the second game of the best-of-three series was played in Cologne where the Sharks decided the match in the last period and won with 3-1.

DEG Metro Stars (7.) - Iserlohn Roosters (10.) 2:0

Only three points lay between the two teams after the regular season but in their best-of-three series Düsseldorf had almost no real problems. The Metro Stars won their home game with 4-1 against Iserlohn on Wednesday. For the second game of the series the teams met in Iserlohn on Friday where Düsseldorf again was the stronger side and made everything clear at the begin of the third.

Now every team in the DEL knows its rivals for the quarter finals:

Eisbären Berlin (1.) - Kölner Haie (9.)
ERC Ingolstadt (2.) - DEG Metro Stars (7.)
Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (3.) - Straubing Tigers (6.)
Adler Mannheim (4.) - Hamburg Freezers (5.)

The quarter finals will be played in a best-of-five series while the semi finals and the final will be played in a best-of-five series each.