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Convinced in the NHL and at the World Cup: Moritz Seider from the Detroit Red Wings
Photo: Martin Meissner / dpa
The German national ice hockey team narrowly missed out on winning the group at the World Cup in Finland, but celebrated the best preliminary round result in their history.
The team of national coach Toni Söderholm, which already qualified early for the knockout stage, lost to their eternal rival Switzerland in the last preliminary round match 3:4 (2:1, 0:2, 1:0, 0:0, 0:1) after a penalty shootout.
As a result, Germany, as second in the round of eight, meets the twelve-time world champion Czech Republic or Olympic champion Finland.
Group winners Switzerland play the USA in the quarter-finals in Helsinki on Thursday.
Germany's opponent in the round of eight was not yet known after the end of the game on Tuesday afternoon and will only be determined in the evening in a direct duel between hosts Finland and the Czech Republic.
Kai Wissmann (12th minute) from the Eisbären Berlin, Stefan Loibl (16th) and Matthias Plachta (49th / both Adler Mannheim) scored the goals for the selection of the German Ice Hockey Federation.
No German shooter was successful in the penalty shoot-out, but Nico Hischier and Damien Riat scored for the Swiss.
In regular time, Andres Ambühl (2nd), Pius Suter (22nd) and Denis Malgin (39th) scored for Switzerland, who were group winners with seven wins from seven games.
Germany would have needed a win in regular time to lead the table.
The only defeat in the previous six matches in the time-honoured »Helsingin Jäähalli« was the DEB team's 3:5 start against Canada.
At last year's World Cup in Riga, Germany beat the Swiss 3-2 in the quarter-finals after a penalty shoot-out and ended up fourth.
Germany had previously achieved their best preliminary round result with 15 points in Kosice/Slovakia with five wins in 2019.
In 2011 and 1933, the DEB selection had won the preliminary round in significantly smaller groups, but then there were other rounds of points that were never finished first.
see/sid/dpa