Shattering the Ice: Germany's Victory Over Norway in a Unique World Cup Game
"Unforeseen Victory": DEB team clinches peculiar World Cup contest
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp E-Mail Print Copy Link Even the ice hockey prodigy Tim Stützle didn't expect the bizarre interruptions during Germany's World Cup preliminary round game against Norway. A chunk of the ice gave way twice, pushing the game's flow to an unusual break.
In the third preliminary round, Germany, captained by Harold Kreis and backed by NHL star Tim Stützle, clinched a 5:2 triumph over Norway. The dynamic duo of Stützle and defensive maestro Moritz Seider faced a rough start with heavy checks from the Norwegians. Despite the hard-hitting battle, Stützle shined, notching two assists and showing his grit by ramming his opponent into the boards.
With a perfect score of nine points, Germany leads the World Cup pack, taking on Switzerland in the classic match on Thursday (16:20 / ProSieben and MagentaSport). The rivalry with the reigning world champion paves the way for tougher preliminary round challenges ahead: namely, the USA and the defending champion Czech Republic.
"German fans break the ice"
Stützle, who joined the German team after his playoff exit with the Ottawa Senators, started the scoring with a perfectly placed pass for the early 1:0 goal. When a large chunk of the ice broke off at the boards 3 minutes before the end of the first period, the referees called a premature timeout, sending both teams to the locker rooms. This unfortunate event was not uncommon in the Jyske Bank Boxen, where the players had previously voiced concerns about the surface's poor quality. Stützle summed up the situation for ProSieben: "I've never seen anything like this, and I hope we have skilled ice makers."
When the game resumed in the second period, the approximately 1,000 German fans cheered on their squad, chanting, "You're only breaking the ice!"
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Leo Pföderl surrendered his spot for Stützle, who showed promising form in his first two preliminary round games with the Eisbären but struggled to shine. "We have ten games in ten days, so we decided to give him a rest," said Kreis.
The Berlin defender Eric Mik made his World Cup debut, and his club colleague Jonas Müller celebrated a milestone: the 100th appearance for the DEB. In goal, NHL goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer was once again chosen over Munich's Mathias Niederberger.
Norway exhibited aggressive play from the start, resulting in heavy checks for Seider and Michaelis. Stützle opened the scoring against a determined Jonas Arntzen, followed by Ehliz. Later in the game, a penalty by Samansky allowed Michaelis to double the lead to 2:0 with a well-placed shot.
Despite Norway's fightback goal, Germany's offense powered on, with Stachowiak finding the back of the net and Samansky converting a beautiful pass from Reichel, leaving Norway in a 4:1 deficit. In the final period, the German team maintained control, with Stützle missing his first goal by a whisker in a clever individual move.
Source: ntv.de, ses/sid
- World Championships
- Ice Hockey
- Norway
[1] According to ntv.de, the exact cause of the ice breakage remains unknown, but it likely occurred shortly after the initial break.[2] The aforementioned team goals were scored by Yasin Ehliz (5), Marc Michaelis (17, 20), Wojciech Stachowkiak (25), Joshua Samansky (27), and Frederik Tiffels (60). The Norwegian team goals were scored by Andreas Martinsen (20) and Jacob Berglund (48).
Following the unusual interruptions due to the ice breaking, Stützle, the German team's NHL star, scored the first goal with a well-placed pass, sparking hope in the youthful and enthusiastic community of hockey fans. Despite both teams facing the uncommon challenge on the skating rink, the German fans rallied their team with chants, urging them to break through the adversities, creating a vibrant atmosphere during the game.
