Hager, Ehrhoff and Holzer scored in the 3-2 win against Team USA / Monday's final group game against newly promoted Hungary
The German national team opened the door to the quarterfinals with another victory at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. National coach Marco Sturm's team beat Team USA 3:2 (2:1, 0:1, 1:0) on Sunday afternoon after a great fight. The last group game against newly promoted Hungary will take place on Monday (from 19 p.m., live on SPORT1).
As expected, Sturm had Thomas Greiss in goal. However, defender Constantin Braun had to miss the game again with a leg injury. “We hope that he can play against Hungary,” the national coach said before the game.
Both teams met on equal terms from the first minute. The start was optimal for the German selection. Patrick Hager was able to make it 1-0 in the power play after Daryl Boyle had shot on goal. Marcel Goc had the best opportunity to increase the score to 2-0 with a remarkable shot. Instead, the very toxic Americans managed to equalize 1-1 through Jake McCabe, when one player was sitting in the penalty box. Christian Ehrhoff's cracker from the blue line made it 2-1 for the national team.
The Americans took advantage of a remaining penalty against Marco Sturm's team from the first period to make it 2-2 shortly after superstar Auston Matthews was substituted. Only 26 seconds were played. After that, Team USA got better into the game as the game progressed, so that the German selection was challenged in defense. Especially when they were outnumbered, Greiss and Co did hard work.
That didn't change much in the last section, also due to further penalties against the national team. Both teams fought for chances but the 2-2 score lasted until just before the end. It was Korbinan Holzer, 33 seconds before the end of the game, who hammered the puck from the blue line into the net and so on DEB-Selection opened the door to the quarterfinals.
On Monday, the German selection will play its last group game against Hungary (live from 19 p.m. on SPORT1).
National coach Marco Sturm: “We are of course very happy about the victory. We have a good start. We had a bit of luck in the second third, it has to be said. In the last section we held up better again. We'd love to take the victory with us. We now want to end the last group game with a good feeling and beat the Hungarians.”
Korbinian Holzer (Anaheim Ducks/NHL): “It was a strong team performance overall. We actually played well at five-on-five. Of course, the Americans had the momentum on their side as they were often in the majority. Of course they were better there. This isn't just a counter business. Thomas Greiss held up great. Marcel Goc won an important face-off at the end, Marcus Kink and Yannic Seidenberg moved well in front of the goal and I was able to find the gap.”
Germany: Greiss (Pielmeier) – Holzer, Ehrhoff; Kink, Goc, Seidenberg – Reul, Müller; Macek, Draisaitl, Noebels - Boyle, Akdag; Reimer, Kahun, Flaake – Anchors; Schütz, Hager, Gogulla
Gates: 1:0 Patrick Hager (2:19/PP1), 1:1 Jake McCabe (10:35), 2:1 Christian Ehrhoff (13:06), 2:2 Auston Matthews (20:26/PP1), 3: 2 Korbinian Holzer (59:27)
Penalty minutes: Germany 14 – USA 6
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