With a win against France, the German national ice hockey team wants to advance back into the knockout phase. Stanley Cup winner Nico Sturm plays a key role in this.
Harold Kreis actually wanted to talk about the next opponent on the ice when he suddenly got onto the dance floor. The national ice hockey coach was asked what he thought of the “white ballet”. The grandiosely performing Swiss, who have already been confirmed as group winners and possible German World Cup quarter-final opponents, were called that in the local press. Then what about his team? “I’m not very familiar with opera and ballet”the 64-year-old replied with a laugh, “but certainly not the dying swan.”
The fourth win is against France
The artistically demanding comparison with the “preliminary round world champion”, who has won 16 group games in a row in all tournaments and is dreaming of a really big coup, is not yet certain. Because the German national team has to take the last step in the knockout round.
That’s why Kreis preferred to concentrate on the last preliminary round game on Tuesday (11.20 a.m.) against France. The fourth World Cup victory in a row in Tampere is to come, so that it then goes to the quarter-finals in Riga.
No thoughts on the classic against Switzerland
It is therefore undesirable to think about the classic against Switzerland, which the German team has always won in knockout games in recent years – concentration on the obvious is the order of the day. As an extension of the national coach, World Cup newcomer Nico Sturm also ensures this. In his first tournament with the selection of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB), the Stanley Cup winner immediately slipped into the role of the leader, who had internalized the style of play demanded by Kreis.
Best German World Cup goalscorer, secret captain and role model for the young players – his status as currently the most important attacker in the German ice hockey team worked out in rapid succession. After only ten international matches, it can be said: Without the Stanley Cup winner of 2022, the selection of the German Ice Hockey Association at the World Championships in Finland and Latvia would probably only be half as good. “Nico is absolutely professional in preparation, in the weight room. We see it in the meetings how focused he is in preparation. He really is a role model for everyone here.”praised Kreis
plain text outside the gang
“Basic Ice Hockey, North-South”the 28-year-old NHL pro kept saying, “If the high-percentage plays aren’t there, then the record goes deep and we try to get them back.” As a hockey worker, the center forward of the San Jose Sharks leads the way on the ice, outside of the rink he speaks plain language. “No faxing with the disc on the blue line”he demanded from the first line of attackers around NHL rookie John-Jason Peterka, who meanwhile got bogged down in individual actions.
When it came down to it, Sturm even shone as a goalscorer – although he doesn’t define himself by scoring points. It almost sounded a little apologetic when, after beating Hungary 7-2, he commented on his second brace in a row and a total of five tournament goals: “Now the goals weren’t just any magic things, everything within a meter or two of the goal. That’s how I make my money and not because I start dancing people out.”
Much praise for John-Jason Peterka
Sturm has repeatedly mentioned that not everyone in the DEB team gets this kind of ice hockey on the ice. After the third win in a row with the quarterfinals in mind, he didn’t want to go again “stand here and criticize everything”. So he only found words of praise for 21-year-old Peterka, who promptly responded to Kreis’ memo and his compulsory break on the bench with a goal and three assists.
“If he makes the right decisions with the disc, he’s our best striker,” said storm, “I’m happy for him if he hopefully finds his best form at the right time.” So that the German ice hockey team does not become the “dying swan” against the “white ballet”.