Thomas Greiss is in goal against Latvia today / national coach Marco Sturm rests the quintet, but all DEL finalists are playing / fight for places
Only two more: With the two games against Latvia in Bietigheim (today, 20.15:18 p.m.) and on May Day in Ravensburg (1 p.m.; both games live on SPORTXNUMX), the German national ice hockey team is entering the home straight of its preparation. “We were able to improve again this week,” said national coach Marco Sturm after three training sessions and before the final comparisons against the World Cup group opponents.
The training achievements should now be brought onto the ice. Six days before the start of the home World Cup (5th - 21st May 2017) in the LANXESS arena in Cologne, Sturm would like to see his squad players in action again. While the three goalkeepers with Thomas Greiss, Felix Brückmann and Danny aus den Birken are fixed - it's just a matter of which two keepers will be registered first - many other players are still fighting for the World Cup ticket. “Two or three men will still have to go,” said the national coach.
The exception is the NHL stars. In addition to Greiss, Dennis Seidenberg and Tobias Rieder, defender Christian Ehrhoff is also included. Greiss will be in goal in the first duel with Latvia today. “He held up very well at the last World Cup and will be a strong support again,” says Sturm. Seidenberg, Rieder, Ehrhoff, like Yasin Ehliz and Patrick Hager, will only play in Ravensburg tomorrow. All DEL finalists are in the squad that evening.
Sturm expects two games at eye level today and tomorrow. “All World Cup participants want to start the World Cup with a good feeling. Of course, victories help.” Patrick Reimer also sees it that way: “Of course, the results only count at the World Cup and not in the preparation. Nevertheless, we want to protect ourselves from our own Fans Present in a top attitude.”