On the way to the quarter-finals of the Ice Hockey World Championship, the DEB team had aimed for their second win. Coach Toni Söderholm’s team had a harder time against France than expected, but still won in the end.
Third game, second win. After the opening defeat against Canada (3:5) and the 2:1 against Slovakia, the DEB team won 3:2 (2:1, 0:1, 1:0) against France on Tuesday evening. Striker Leonhard Pföderl became the match winner with his winning goal to make it 3:2.
Daniel Fischbuch (1-0) and Alexander Ehrl (2-1) had previously given the German team the lead. NHL striker Alexandre Texier (15th) and Hugo Gallet (32nd) scored for France in front of 2,652 spectators. Next German opponent is Denmark on Thursday.
48 hours after the Olympic revenge against Slovakia, Germany has now achieved its second victory at the World Cup – but is also worried about NHL youngster Tim Stützle, who is threatened with losing the World Cup.
Regular goalie Grubauer gets a break
“You can’t make any mistakes, you have to beat the French first,” captain Moritz Müller warned before the game, emphasizing: “The three points against Slovakia are only worth something if we get something against France.” Söderholm gave his regular goalie Philipp Grubauer a first break after his outstanding performance against Slovakia. But the Berlin champion goalkeeper Mathias Niederberger, who didn’t get his safest day, stood between the posts.