In a tightly-played game, Frank Hoerdler's power-play goal in the third period was the difference as Eisbaren Berlin defeated Lulea Hockey 2-1. Read more in Gamecentre. 

Lulea Hockey were the odds-on favourite to win Group I – and they still very well might – but they didn't get off to the start they wanted by dropping a 2-1 decision to Eisbaren Berlin. With Petri Vehanen and Joel Lassinantti at either end of the ice, a low-scoring game was to be expected and it was – the 30 minutes passing without a score.

Then the two teams traded goals within a four-minute span – first Micki Dupont stuffed in a rebound for Die Eisbaren, then Kael Moullierat with a nice deflection of Craig Schira's shot the power play to even it up.

Shira described, “We were working it around on the power play pretty good and Daine Todd made a good play to keep the puck in at the blueline and got it to Johan Harju. He passed it to me and I took a shot through a screen and Kael did a great job screening their goalie and made a good deflection into the net.”

The game was decided midway through the third on an Eisbaren power play, when Frank Hoerdler's shot from the top of the slot found space between Lassinantti's pads. 

“It wasn't the result that we wanted,” Schira said afterwards. “I don't think our game was where it should be. I think we lacked energy and we all know we got outplayed. They played a really good game and I don't think we matched their energy level and the execution on our passes wasn't the greatest, so it was hard to get any flow and that's why it resulted in a 2-1 loss.”