First World Cup goal from Leon Draisaitl / Reimer, Schütz, Macek and Gogulla also score / Sunday against Team USA
The German national ice hockey team has secured its second victory in the fifth game of the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. On Friday evening, the team coached by Marco Sturm beat Belarus 5:2 (3:0, 1:1, 1:1) and, like the previous day against Canada, showed a courageous performance. On Sunday (from 15 p.m., live on SPORT1), the German selection will face Team USA in the penultimate group game.
Sturm had to do without Tobias Rieder before the game. The striker suffered a leg injury in the duel with the “Maple Leaves”, which made it impossible to play in the evening. Defender Constantin reports that he is fit again. Jerome Flaake moved into the squad for Rieder. Goalkeeper Thomas Greiss from the New York Islanders celebrated his first appearance since the Vancouver Olympic Games in 2010.
The first third was almost perfect for the national team. Patrick Reimer had put his colors in front, and Leon Draisaitl was able to make it 2-0 a little later with his first goal of the tournament. The 3-0 win by Felix Schütz in the power play gave the German team the security they needed. Greiss then showed his full class and made strong saves against the Belarusians who were getting stronger.
It stayed that way in the second section. The goalkeeper could be relied on, especially in outnumbered situations. However, the keeper was powerless to counter Andrei Stepanov's goal. Germany continued to hold on and made it 4-1 thanks to a deflected shot from Brooks Macek.
In the final section, the national team was concerned with maintaining the result and taking advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves. Philip Gogulla narrowly failed with a counterattack. Belarus started running – and made it 4-2 with a strange goal. Belarus then increased the offensive, but in the end the German success was no longer in danger. Philip Gogulla sealed the final score of 5-2 with his empty net goal nine seconds before the end.
Germany: Greiss (Pielmeier) – Holzer, Ehrhoff; Kink, Goc, Seidenberg – Reul, Müller; Macek, Draisaitl, Noebels - Boyle, Akdag; Reimer, Kahun, Flaake – Ankert, Braun; Schütz, Hager, Gogulla; Fauser
Gates: 1:0 Patrick Reimer (4:26), 2:0 Leon Draisaitl (5:44), 3:0 Felix Schütz (10:47/PP1), 3:1 Andrei Stepanov (28:08/PP1), 4: 1 Brooks Macek (34:23), 4:2 Andrei Stas (49:14), 5:2 (59:51/PP1/EN) Philip Gogulla
Penalty minutes: Germany 8 – Belarus 4
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