Tim Stüzle tallied a pair of goals, while Leon Draisaitl set the tone scoring 23 seconds in to lead Germany to a 3-1 win over Denmark.
Earning silver in the 2018 Olympics, this was Germany’s first win in a Games featuring NHL players since defeating Latvia in 2002.
Summary
Seattle Kraken farmhand Oscar Fisker Molgaard finished a pass from Nikolaj Ehlers, outmuscling German forward, Oilers’ Josh Samanski to the net. Fisker Molgaard beat his Kraken teammate, goalie Philipp Grubauer to tie the game at one at 13:09 of the opening frame.
Ottawa Senator Tim Stützle one-timed a J.J. Peterka dish past Denmark netminder Freddie Andersen, providing Germany a 2-1 lead 4:20 into the second period
Stützle became only the second German to score two goals in an Olympic game featuring NHL players, (Jan Benda, Feb. 12.1998 was the first), when his pass attempt for Draisaitl redirected off a Denmark defender for a power play marker.
Grubauer stopped all Denmark’s 14 shots in the final stanza, including six when the Danes iced six attackers, en route to Germany’s 3-1 victory.
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Takeaways : Germany
Though Grubauer was busy, facing 38 shots, the Danes were held to the outside or from the faceoff hashmarks for the most part.
Norris Trophy candidate Moritz Seider was a force on the back end playing 26:18.
While Germany won’t be mentioned among tournament favorites, the team has the potential to keep any game close due to their offensive prowess.
To shut down the Germans, opponents need to blanket Draisaitl and Stützle. Only a few seclect players can do this at an elite level, and rarely are they successful.
Teams will also need to stay out of the box. While there were only two power plays with Stützle scoring on one, Germany’s head coach Harold Kreis can ice a top unit of Stützle/Draisaitl/Peterka/Seider and Vancover Canucks forward Lukas Reichel, which is solid even for an NHL club.
Germany’s strength includes depth at forward with the inclusion of former NHLers Dominik Kahun, Tobias Rieder and American Leaguer Wojciech Stachowiak, Lightning prospect who’s registered 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) this season with Syracuse.
With games remaining with Latvia and the United States, the Germans will likely require at least a point to secure a spot in the qualifying round.
Takeaways : Denmark
With their roster comprised of mainly players scattered across Europe, Denmark will be hard-pressed to make a dent in a tournament filled with NHL All Stars.
The Danes are a gritty team who play with a strong defensive structure. But when push comes to shove, a roster containing three current NHLers in forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand, Nikolaj Ehlers, Lars Eller won’t cut it. To their part, the trio all contributed Thursday. Lightning’s Bjorkstrand recorded seven shots on goal in an incredible 23 minutes of ice time. Senators’ Eller posted four shots on goal, while the Hurricanes’ Ehlers added an assist.
A twist in Olympic playoff qualifying is goal differential. Down two goals with 3:30 remaining, Andersen was removed for a sixth attacker, but in the final moments, head coach Mikael Gath sent the goaltender back to the net to keep the differential negative-two.
Latvia is a negative-four after their 5-1 loss to the United States.
