It's not just the defender who sees the German selection on the right track / Sturm: “Reaction shown”
With a much brighter mood, the national team boarded the plane from Minsk to Frankfurt on Sunday morning at 12 local time. The 2-1 win from the previous day in the second comparison with hosts Belarus, which was deserved in all respects, put a smile on the players' faces. Only logical after three defeats in a row at the Euro Hockey Challenge. “Such a victory is always good for the mood and morale,” said national coach Marco Sturm with satisfaction.
In addition to the result, Sturm particularly liked the way his team performed in front of over 7.000 Fans presented in the sold-out “Bobruisk Arena”. The German selection showed their class particularly in the duels against Belarusians who were also physically strong. In addition, the opponent was given little space and the special teams were successful. The Germans created a lot of commotion in front of the opponent's box.
"We had conceded too many goals so far, and we wanted to change that," said Sturm. It worked. Despite being outnumbered, the visitors didn't concede a goal, even though they had to play with one man less on several occasions. Sturm: "The week was very positive. It started with a good training camp in Mannheim and an improvement in the two games." He also saw an improvement in the 1:3 defeat the day before. "After the defeat in the first game, the boys really deserved the win. They showed a reaction."
Captain Christian Ehrhoff also drew a consistently positive conclusion. “Overall, we have taken a step forward and developed. On Saturday we largely dominated the game in the 2-1 win. It’s normal that things get tight again in the end when the opponent catches up,” said the ex-NHL player.
So it's all well and good? The national team is far from sitting back because of a small success. On the contrary. “We have to keep working hard on ourselves,” demands Sturm with a raised finger and Ehrhoff also knows: “When we play against the Czech Republic in Nuremberg and Mannheim next week, a completely different standard awaits us. What is certain is that our performance improvement must continue.”
For phase three of the preparation, the national coach can rely on two offensive alternatives. The DEL Player of the Year Patrick Reimer returns to the squad after a short break as agreed. Reinforcements from the NHL are there for the first time: Tobias Rieder from the Arizona Coyotes is also joining us. “I’m happy to be returning to the national team,” said Rieder, who the national coach actually wanted to give him a break. But Rieder politely declined.