Denmark tripped up Germany. © APA/afp / BO AMSTRUP

Thriller in the penalty shootout: Germany is eliminated

The German national ice hockey team missed the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2018.

20 May 2025

From: dpa/tu

Germany falls short of its minimum goal: The national team missed the quarterfinals of the Ice Hockey World Championship for the first time in seven years. After a 1:2 (0:0, 1:0, 0:1, 0:1) penalty shootout loss to Denmark, coach Harold Kreis's team slipped to fifth place in Group B behind the co-hosts and is out of the knockout round for the first time since the 2018 World Championship, also in Herning.

In the penalty shootout, not a single German shooter scored. Berlin's Korbinian Geibel (40th minute) scored the opening goal, which NHL star Nikolay Ehlers equalized (50th).

"There are no more excuses now," captain Moritz Seider announced before the match. After three resounding defeats against the top nations, the German Ice Hockey Federation (DHF) team was quite impressed by the host nation's performance. NHL goaltender Philipp Grubauer of the Seattle Kraken had to be at his best right away in front of 10.500 spectators.

Grubauer showed his best side. © ANSA / BO AMSTRUP

The 33-year-old from Rosenheim again kept his team from conceding a goal. Danish goalkeeper Frederik Dichow, on the other hand, barely had to distinguish himself. "We simply have to shoot at the goal more often," Kreis demanded on MagentaSport before the game began. NHL star Tim Stützle and his team remained completely harmless in the first 20 minutes. The Danes had a 5-14 shots-on-target ratio in the first period.

Stützle with problems

The German Basketball Association (DEB) team scored 15 goals in three matches against the underdogs. They then managed just four against Switzerland, the USA, and the Czech Republic. Tim Stützle of the Ottawa Senators wasn't the goal scorer hoped for in his fifth World Cup appearance. In North America, he scored 24 goals and 55 assists to secure the Canadians' place in the playoffs. He barely made an impact in Herning. "There are many, many things that need to be analyzed afterward," said German Basketball Association (DEB) sports director Christian Künast on ProSieben.

Tim Stützle (number 18) didn't have the desired impact. © ANSA / BO AMSTRUP

The German team attempted to gain momentum in the second period with individual efforts. Stützle showed his class when he denied Dichow with a good attempt. The keeper also saved Alexander Ehl's chance in the 31st minute. The new signing from Adler Mannheim repeatedly posed threats in front of the Danish goal.

Geibel scores, Denmark responds

With the first good offensive moves, the German team finally found itself in the match. The Kreis team presented itself with significantly more power and repeatedly created opportunities. The reward was well-deserved: A shot from Berlin's Korbinian Geibel landed in the Danish net for a deserved lead. "We remained patient," said striker Yasin Ehliz on MagentaSport.

Everything looked set for a fourth consecutive World Cup victory against the co-hosts. But the Danes had their NHL star. Nikolaj Ehlers, who traveled to Herning at short notice after his Winnipeg Jets were eliminated in the NHL playoffs, scored to equalize the score at 1-1 in the 50th minute.

Michaelis injured

The next setback came shortly afterward. Mannheim's Marc Michaelis, who had already been injured in the second period, took a puck in the face and immediately left the ice bleeding. In the penalty shootout, all of the German shooters, including Stützle, lost their nerve.