As expected, Mathias started in goal NiederbergerThe line-up remained unchanged from the previous day. Unlike yesterday, the DEB-Team to overcome an early deficit: In the fourth minute Moritz's attempt failed Seider, Nikita's shot Mikhailis to clarify. The Defender deflected the puck into his own goalThe Kazakhs were now in the lead, but the DEB-Team had the better opportunities. Calves, Tiffels and Pföderl narrowly missed the chance. Kazakhstan remained dangerous with quick counterattacks. Compensation then scored Kastner in the 14nd minute freestanding in the slot.
The second period began with the first penalty of the game. Before that, there were too many German players on the ice. However, the Kazakh power play posed little danger. Afterwards, the DEB-Team to increase the pressure noticeably. In another strong sequence of the German national team, Leon Hüttl first the bar before Stachowiak after a break the 2:1 lead achieved (35.)Kastner could have extended the lead shortly afterwards, but his shot also hit the crossbar.
After the second break, the German selection got off to a perfect start: Frederik Tiffels fit across the slot Reichel, which after direct acceptance the 3:1 scored from a tight angle (42.)Four minutes later, Calves with his second goal of the tournament 4:1 (46th)Ten minutes before the end, Patrick Hager was sent to the penalty box for a knee check. The Kazakhs failed to score again on their second power play, so the game ended 4-1, and the German national team secured another three-pointer.
For the DEBThe team has a training day in Denmark tomorrow, Monday, before continuing on Tuesday at 16:20 p.m. against Norway.
Official statistics page on IIHF.com.
Voices about the game:
National coach Harold Kreis: "Today's game was a tough one. Kazakhstan put a lot of pressure on us. We had a lot of turnovers at the beginning. We were able to correct that in the third period. When we played straight, we made it difficult for the Kazakhs. The team has incredible team spirit. They acknowledged the deficit and then worked hard for the win. Today was a hard-fought victory."
Striker Maximilian Kastner: "The game could have been a bit more decisive. We'll take the win and the three points. In the end, the result doesn't matter. We played sloppily at the beginning, but then we got into the game better. Then we were able to settle in and got better as the game went on. Tomorrow is a time to recover."
Defender Lukas Calves: "I'm happy to be able to help the team. Today was a hard-fought victory. We made it difficult for ourselves at the beginning. The Kazakhs played hard. But then we were able to turn the momentum around. We know from the first two games that we should keep the game simple. I expect a hard-fought game against Norway. We want to win it."
Goalkeeper Mathias Niederberger: "After the own goal, it's important that the team shakes it off quickly. They did that well today. Our team has a lot of quality and can overcome a deficit."