The German national ice hockey team finished second in preliminary group A at the World Cup in Finland and moved into the World Cup quarter-finals for the third time in a row. In the final group game against Switzerland, they secured themselves DEBselection earned a point after a strong performance with a 3:4 win after a penalty shootout. Goal scorers were Kai Wissmann (12th), Stefan Loibl (16th) and Matthias Plachta (48th). Moritz Seider was named best player.
For the clash against Switzerland, national coach Toni Söderholm made some changes compared to the previous games: Philipp Grubauer started in goal, with Mathias Niederberger as backup. As expected, defender Korbinian Holzer and striker Matthias Plachta also returned to the squad - both had recently been given a break. However, Dominik Bitter, Dustin Strahlmeier and Tim Stützle, who left due to an injury, were not in the lineup.
Switzerland got off to a lightning start, as after less than two minutes Andres Ambühl was celebrating with the Swiss bench after a well-placed shot into the near corner. But the German team didn't let the early deficit deter them and stuck to their game plan: First they succeeded DEBselection to stop the Swiss team from playing fast. By the middle of the first period at the latest, the German team had more possession and scoring opportunities. The logical equalizer came with a power play: After Lukas Reichel won a face-off, Kai Wissmann (12) hammered the puck into the net. Four minutes later, the Germans took the lead after Moritz Seider's shot, which Stefan Loibl deflected (16th) and took advantage of the traffic in front of the Swiss goal.
In the second period it was the Swiss who scored a quick goal again: Pius Suter (22nd) had just come off the bench, came to the goal and gave Philipp Grubauer no chance to defend. Even after that, the Swiss had more of the game, so the German goalie was constantly challenged and, above all, his strong positional play prevented another goal being conceded. They came on the other side DEB-Selection was always dangerous in front of Berra's goal, especially during quick counterattacks, and Marcel Noebels had a good chance to finish even when he was in the majority. But his shot was deflected at the last second by a Swiss bat. Shortly before the break there was the first penalty time against Germany, which Denis Malgin (39th) used ice-coldly to give the Swiss the lead.
In the final third, the tension in the Helsinki Ice Hall continued to increase, with both teams now playing on equal terms. However, there was also an unpleasant upset: Leon Gawanke was left bleeding on the ice after being checked in the face and was then traded to the German bench. To the German bank's incomprehension, there was neither a video review nor a penalty period. With corresponding anger in his stomach, Matthias Plachta (48th) took courage and inimitablely fueled his way through the Swiss defense - 3:3 equalized. What a goal! The Swiss responded with a final offensive, but Grubauer and the German defense withstood the pressure. So the points remained divided after 60 minutes, which ultimately decided the battle for the top spot in Group A.
In the subsequent overtime, Yasin Ehliz and Marc Michaelis had the best chances for Germany. The Swiss prevailed in the penalty shootout with Nico Hischier's goal (65th) and were able to take the extra point.
Next Thursday (May 26, 2022) the quarter-finals are coming up for the German national ice hockey team. The opponent will be determined today after the preliminary round games of both groups have ended. The game starts either at 16:20 p.m. (15:20 p.m. German time) or 20:20 p.m. (19:20 p.m.) German time. Current information about this can be found on the social media channels DEB.
Voices about the game
DEB-Sports director Christian Künast: "We played the best preliminary round ever in a difficult group with 16 points. We have developed further, both in terms of sport and structure, and have worked even more professionally overall. Now we are looking forward to the upcoming knockout round."
National coach Toni Söderholm: "I have to praise the team for what they achieved in the group stage. We did a lot of things well, but we need to improve on some things."
Captain Moritz Müller: “It was a high-class ice hockey game for both teams and one of the fastest games I have ever played. Switzerland is a very talented team and we also played a very good game. Switzerland had better luck in the penalty shootout. All in all, we can now finish the group stage with satisfaction and concentrate on the quarter-finals.”
Defender Korbinian Holzer: “It was an intense, fast game and certainly great to watch for everyone watching. Both teams gave each other nothing. The Swiss came out very hard, but we handled the pressure very well in the first third and turned the game around. In the second section they came out like fire brigades, the final section was even again and Plachti's strong action ensured the equaliser. In the end it was a deserved division of points. The penalty shootout is always a matter of luck. We’ll take the point and look forward to the quarter-finals.”