Germany is unconcerned with the USA's punishment.
The runners-up in the World Championships from Germany get a lesson in the Ice Hockey World Championships held in the Czech Republic. They are no match for the US team, which is packed with top-notch players. This doesn't put the national ice hockey team in a bad mood, but they do worry about their leader.
The losing score of 1:6 against the USA is manageable, but losing Nico Sturm for more World Championship games would be a significant setback. It's unclear when Sturm, a 29-year-old forward for the San Jose Sharks, and injured defensemen Maksymilian Szuber and Fabio Wagner will be fit enough to rejoin the DEB team. "We have expectations and hopes that they will be back soon," said national coach Harold Kreis late on Saturday night.
Injury details and comeback dates aren't often revealed in ice hockey, but Kreis did confirm the injury. He's not sure if one of the trio will be able to play in the third group game against co-favorites Sweden on Monday (8:20 p.m.). "We'll see how the recovery goes," Kreis explained. The former DEL coach didn't want to make a big deal of the absences. "It's not typical for all players to play every game at a World Championship."
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Sturm was a key player in last year's impressive runner-up finish at the World Championships. He was one of the standout players in a good DEB team in the 6-4 win over Slovakia on Friday. "Losing every injured player is a loss for us," said Kreis. This is especially true for Sturm, who's valuable both on and off the ice.
Despite the defeat against the USA, the German runners-up aren't concerned about a mental break. "Whether we lose 2:1 or 6:1 - we have zero points either way," said defender Kai Wissmann after the 1:6 loss in the second World Championship preliminary round game against the USA: "So it doesn't really matter." Captain Moritz Müller echoed his sentiment, calling for the result to be "properly classified." There were three points on the line this game, but Germany didn't secure them. "We need to acknowledge the defeat, examine it, and then get back in the game," said Wissmann.
Their next opponents are the eleven-time world champions Sweden, who also have a star-studded roster and defeated the USA 5:2 in their opener. Thanks to their 6:4 win over Slovakia at the start of the tournament, Germany already has three points in the fight for a spot in the quarter-finals - unlike last year, when they started with three losses and then went on to the final.
"The score is a bit too high. We made it way too easy for them. We have the talent to play better," Müller said on ProSeven. Kreis agreed with his captain: "We weren't in balance today. The boys tried hard, but today wasn't our best day." Only Yasin Ehliz (35') managed to score for the DEB team in front of a crowd of 9,109 spectators, including about 3,000 German fans. Brady Tkachuk (13'), Michael Kesselring (18'), Johnny Gaudreau on the power play (33'), Luke Hughes (40'), Trevor Zegras (51'), and Michael Eyssimont (53') scored for the Americans.
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Despite Germany's impressive performance in the previous World Championship, their second game against the USA at the Ice Hockey World Championships saw them lose 1:6. This mismatch in prowess was largely due to the US team, filled with NHL stars like Brady Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau.
This year, Germany is preparing for their third group game against Sweden, another powerhouse in the Ice Hockey World Championships, known for their star-studded roster. The absence of key players like Nico Sturm from the German team, who is injured and recovering with the San Jose Sharks in the NHL's World Championships, is a concern for the German coach, Harold Kreis.
Source: www.ntv.de
