For the German national ice hockey team, the fourth preliminary round game at the World Cup in Finland is coming up. With two wins from three games, the DEB team around Toni Söderholm got off to a strong start. Will the next success be against Denmark? The game in the live ticker.
Germany – Denmark
05/19/2022 | 3:20 p.m
Initial situation: After three evening games on Friday, Saturday and Monday and two days without games, the German ice hockey cracks will play for the first time in the afternoon. With two wins from three preliminary round games, the German Ice Hockey Federation team is on course, but can still improve. The victories against Slovakia (2:1) and France (3:2) were made perfect by a goal difference.
Opponents: Denmark is tenth in the world rankings, right behind Germany (9th) and is a direct competitor in the group for a place in the quarter-finals. At the Olympic Games, the Danes – unlike the DEB team – reached the round of the top eight. The previous results of the team with the former longtime NHL professional Frans Nielsen, who just became champion with the Eisbären Berlin, in Helsinki: 9:1 against Kazakhstan, 0:6 against Switzerland, 2:1 against Italy.
Statistics: The last five World Cup duels since 2011 between Germany and Denmark ended with a difference of only one goal or in overtime or in a penalty shoot-out. Only two of them went to the Germans: 2019 and 2012 each with 2:1.
Personal: Exceptional striker Stützle is questionable after his injury from the win against France. Striker Lukas Reichel and defender Leon Gawanke, both from the second-rate North American professional league AHL, will only arrive in Helsinki on Thursday as new alternatives. Whether they are already playing is also questionable.
Perspective: A win against outsiders Italy is mandatory on Friday (3:20 p.m. / Sport1 and MagentaSport). On Sunday we face Kazakhstan. The group stage ends on Tuesday against Switzerland. The top four of each group advance to the quarterfinals.
That’s what national coach Toni Söderholm says: “They did well as a team at the last tournament,” said the 44-year-old Finn with a view to the Olympics: “It will be a very intense game, the Danes play quite physically, they have a few bigger players . The core has been together for a few years.”
