The German vice-world champions got off to a perfect start at the World Cup in the Czech Republic. 348 days after the silver coup in Tampere, the efficient team of national coach Harold Kreis beat Olympic third-placed Slovakia 6:4 (0:0, 3:2, 2:1) and celebrated a groundbreaking victory against a direct competitor in the first round game for a place in the quarter-finals.
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Swiss legionnaire Dominik Kahun (30th), Berlin’s Jonas Müller (33rd), Bremerhaven’s World Cup debutant Lukas Kälble (40th), future Mannheimer Marc Michaelis (45th) and Berlin master player Leo Pföderl (57th). and Tobias Eder (59th) scored the goals for the selection of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB), which competed with 13 runner-up world champions, on Friday in front of 9,000 spectators in Ostrava.
“Let’s not kid ourselves, that was important,” said captain Moritz Müller happily at MagentaSport: “We had a good start, we were able to counter every goal from the Slovaks.” Goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer, who saved 35 of 39 shots and was Player of the game was awarded, saw room for improvement. “We have to play smarter in the last ten minutes. That was a bit unnecessary,” said the goalie at Pro7.
Marek Hrivik (37′) and Martin Fehervary (39′) had equalized Germany’s interim 2-0 lead in a wild middle third. The other Slovakian goals from Libor Hudacek (55th) and Matus Sukel (60th) came too late.
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Wild scenes after the final siren
Unsightly scenes occurred after the final siren when there was a big fight with violent punches and martial arts-like displays. Already in the final third, some Slovakians’ tempers began to heat up after a Grubauer parade. Martin Pospisil and Juraj Slafkovsky as well as Germany’s Maksymilian Szuber were given the minor penalty after the scuffle.
The DEB team continues against the favorites in Group B: On Saturday the next opponents are the USA, who are almost entirely made up of NHL professionals, and on Monday (each at 8:20 p.m.) the Swedes, who are no less prominent, are the next opponents. A year ago, the German team started with three defeats before sensationally storming into the final.
The DEB selection not only played against 22 Slovakians on the ice, but also against 8,000 in the stands who had taken the short route across the border and made the Ostravar Arena their home stadium.
Ice Hockey World Cup: Germany gets off to a good start
But the vice world champion started unimpressed: after just 30 seconds, Frederik Tiffels had the chance to make it 1-0, the puck slipped through goalkeeper Stanislav Skorvanek’s legs but remained centimeters from the line. A little later Kälble hit the post (6th).
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Shortly before the end of the period, NHL goalie Philipp Grubauer was lucky when Tomas Tatar also shot the goal onto the goalpost (20th). “That was a good start, we have to stick with it,” said Yasin Ehliz from Munich at MagentaSport.
The Slovaks became stronger in the middle section, but the Germans scored the first goals. With a 5:3 majority, Kahun scored the long overdue 1:0, which also held up according to video evidence. Further into the power play, Müller increased the score with a shot into the corner.
Then Grubauer was unlucky when he directed the puck into his own goal with his shoulder. After the equalizer, Kälble brought the DEB selection, which had failed in the quarter-final play-off against the Slovaks at the 2022 Winter Olympics, back forward 28 seconds before the siren.
Slovakia goal disallowed after video evidence
The Germans got off to a better start in the final third. Michaelis, who is moving to the Adler from Swiss first division club EV Zug next season, restored the two-goal lead with a goal.
The quick follow-up goal by the Slovaks (48th), who competed with five NHL professionals for former number one pick Juraj Slafkovsky, did not count because of offside, according to video evidence. Hudacek made the game exciting again, but a little later Pföderl secured the decision and the fifth World Cup win in a row against Slovakia.
Kreis had 22 players registered with the world association for the first game; defender Colin Ugbekile (Iserlohn Roosters) as well as strikers Joshua Samanski (Straubing Tigers) and Maximilian Kastner (Red Bull Munich), who was part of last year’s silver team, were initially just spectators . NHL striker Lukas Reichel (Chicago Blackhawks), who was expected in Ostrava that evening, was also not officially nominated yet.
With Sports Information Service (SID)