Vice World Champions Navigate a Thin Divide
The German ice hockey team starts the World Championship tournament with high ambitions and a setback. Recently, their biggest achievements have been met with unfortunate failures. National coach Harold Kreis makes a frank statement.
The runners-up aimed to prepare for the challenging World Championship initiation with the Champions League, but it didn't go as expected. "So bitter," stated goalie Philipp Grubauer about Munich's untimely elimination in Madrid, and Nico Sturm confessed, "As a Bayern fan, I was disappointed today." During the night they dined together in the city before watching their Wembley final dreams shatter in their team hotel. "That would have been amazing," Grubauer expressed after practicing at Ostravar Arena.
The ice hockey players' adventures commence (4:20 pm/Pro7 and Magenta Sport) against Olympic bronze medallists Slovakia, preferably culminating in the grand final. They seek to repeat the achievement of last year's silver medal, a target they've set based on their outstanding performance at Tampere. "It's nice when you get external pressure," declared John-Jason Peterka, the best forward of last year: "But we understand what's crucial: we must play for each other, give it all for each other, and exhibit team camaraderie once more."
Akin to a well-loved eatery
Not all the players share this comfortable outlook. Harold Kreis, faced with the frequent inquiry about gold, advocates "humility and respect" for the upcoming task. "We'll keep our feet on the ground and know that this can't be our primary focus," he stated in an interview with Sport-Informations-Dienst. "If it's driven from the outside, that's acceptable, but it won't modify our work or mindset."
Kreis jokes about the players' proclamation after losing the final against Canada that they weren't satisfied and intended to return there: "When I've left a fantastic restaurant, I say, 'I'll be back, I wasn't done yet.' That's a highly emotional statement. However, the reality is that we must start anew from the ground up."
"The players are discussing it"
In the past, the team's most prestigious accomplishments have led to distressing outcomes: After their Olympic silver in 2018, the Germans slumped to eleventh place in the following World Cup, while their 2021 World Cup semifinals finish was followed by an early Olympic exit in Beijing. "The players are conversing about it," Kreis said, including with sports psychologist Tom Kossak. The coach emphasizes that "the team mustn't burden itself with excessive pressure" and "cannot play freely."
Thus, their preliminary goal is to advance to the quarterfinals. "As soon as we've accomplished that, we'll always want more," relayed defender Jonas Müller. Lukas Reichel, their fifth NHL member, is set to join the squad. Chicago Blackhawks permitted the 21-year-old to depart on Friday, potentially debuting against the USA on Saturday (20:20/Pro7 and Magenta Sport) under the earliest circumstances.
Fifteen World Championship second-placers have assembled again in search of the same spirit that guided them to the grand finale. They're ques...
unto recreate that sensation from last year, when their magnificent teamwork propelled them to the championship. "Trying to replicate last year's team spirit continuously is unrealistic," asserted Sturm. "Perhaps we'll have the same Bolognese sauce as last year, but we still have to play ice hockey tomorrow." In Tampere, their communal bathing in the subzero "holy lake" Pyhäjärvi became a tradition. Sturm hasn't discovered a similar option in Ostrava "yet - maybe," he chuckled, "one of those fountains in the city center."
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Despite their success in the Champions League, the German ice hockey team faced an untimely elimination, which affected their preparations for the World Championships. Regardless, they aim to defend their silver medal from last year's World Championships, just like how they performed well in the NHL's World Championships.
In the DEL, Lukas Reichel, their fifth NHL member, is expected to join the squad and could potentially make his debut against the USA in the World Championships. Reichel's addition to the team could help Germany navigate the thin divide between success and failure, as they look to improve upon their recent performances in major international ice hockey tournaments.
Source: www.ntv.de
