3.650 spectators in the König-Pilsener-ARENA watch a 5-3 win against Belarus / Saturday second comparison
The German national ice hockey team achieved its third victory in the seventh game of the Euro Hockey Challenge. In the first comparison with Belarus, which was also the World Cup group opponent in St. Petersburg, national coach Marco Sturm's selection won 5:3 (2:0, 2:3, 1:0) in Oberhausen on Friday evening. Tobias Rieder shone with a brace. The second meeting will take place in the König-Pilsener-ARENA on Saturday (19.30 p.m., live on SPORT1).
As announced, Sturm rested some players in the first game against the Belarusians and brought in four new players. From the German master EHC Red Bull München Defender Daryl Boyle and striker Dominik Kahun joined the squad, as did goalkeeper Felix Brückmann and his teammate Gerrit Fauser from runner-up Grizzlys Wolfsburg.
All eyes were initially on the new top formation around Tobias Rieder, Leon Draisaitl and Patrick Reimer - and it took exactly 33 seconds for the first German goal: After a fine pass from Sinan Akdag and Tobias Rieder, Reimer gave Belarus keeper Kevin Lalande no chance. Draisaitl had previously made a decisive contribution to the gang. Jerome Flaake used the third power play in the first period to take a reassuring and deserved 2-0 lead.
In the middle section, Tobias Rieder was even able to increase the lead to 3-0, before the national team lost some traction in the game. That should take revenge. Because the Belarusians started to catch up, so that the score was suddenly 3:3. Again it was the NHL star from the Arizona Coyotes who made it 4:3. Rieder's break when he was outnumbered was in the margin.
The final section was even. With fight and skill, the German team saved the victory over time. Dominik Kahun sealed the final score of 5:3 with an empty-net goal twelve seconds before the end of the game.
Sturm will rebuild his team again on Saturday and put his trust in the players who are taking a break today. The second duel against Belarus starts at 19.30 p.m. and will also be broadcast live by SPORT1. It is the last appearance of the ice hockey cracks on German soil. Sturm would like to name the final World Cup squad by Sunday at the latest.
Germany: Brückmann (Niederberger) – Brandt, Boyle; Rieder, Draisaitl, Reimer – Brückner, Kohl; Krämmer, Danner, Kink – Akdag, Ankert; Ullmann, Fauser, Flaake – Goc; Noebels, Kahun, Pföderl.
Gates: 1:0 Patrick Reimer (0:33), 2:0 Jerome Flaake (16:22), 3:0 Tobias Rieder (28:01), 3:1 Sergej Kostitsyn, 3:2 Charles Linglet (30:29/PP1 ), 3:3 Ivan Usenko (33:17), 4:3 Tobias Rieder (34:42/SH1); Dominik Kahun 5:3 (59:48/EN)
Penalty minutes: Germany 6 + 10 for Kink – Belarus 10
Viewers: 3.650