Germany blows away Kazakhstan

IIHF.com

Germany controlled the game, spending most of its time in the offensive zone, but it was a second period, three-goal explosion in a 1:14 span that ultimately put the game out of reach for the Kazakhs. In total seven different players scored for the Germans, with only Jerome Flaake getting on the board twice. The Germans sent the message early that they belonged among the elite nations, holding a 3-0 lead by the end of the first period, and out-shooting the Kazakhs 19-6. Simon Fischhaber got things rolling 4:43 into the game and Flaake followed up four minutes later after getting a perfect feed from behind the net by Daniel Weiss. Andre Huebscher added a handsome short-side goal with 1:15 left in the first. Germany’s second period opened with a bang when Weiss scored at the 1:52 mark just after time expired on a Kazakhstan power play. Clearly flustered after the Weiss goal, the Kazakhs let in another quick two tallies, these coming from Stever Rupprich and Gerrit Fauser. Kazakhstan goaltender Andrei Yankov had little time to catch his breath before Marco Nowak and Flaake came storming down the ice on an odd-man rush to make it 7-0 and close the second-period scoring. Kazakhstan tried to change things up in the third period, replacing Yankov with Maxim Gryaznov, but it was too little, too late as the damage was already done. Germany put in another pair of goals, including a second from Flaake, to bring the final to 9-0. Timo Pielmeier earned the shutout in net for Germany. Should both Germany and Kazakhstan end up in the relegation round, Germany would take the three points from today’s win with them into the four-team round robin. The Kazakhs will have little time to regroup as they play Canada tomorrow evening. Canada beat the Germans 8-2 on opening day. Meanwhile, Germany has a day off tomorrow after accumulating one win and one loss in the first two days of action.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)