The Best Game You Can Name...
What a tournament. World record at the opening game. Suprising victories from the "underdogs". Denmark. Switzerland. Germany. Yes, Germany definitely is a icehockey underdog. They wouldn't have been allowed to play at the A division world championship this year, if they hadn't been the host. They were relegated last year. They didn't win a single game at the Olympics in Vancouver and only scored once.
I was hoping that they'd do better at this world championship at home with thousands of fan rooting for them. But I also was afraid that they might have to play in the relegation round and worst case scenario were relegated again.
But then there was the opening game with 77.000 viewers and a 2:1 victory against the USA. There were great games against Finland and Denmark in the prelimary round. Great games against Russia and Belarus and Slovakia in the qualifiying round. They won some, they lost some, but even when they lost it was always a tight game and they were never outplayed. They played amazingly and (I admit at least to me) surprisingly well. They advanced to the quarterfinals and met Switzerland, which they haven't beaten in a while. But they did this time. They met Russia again in the semifinals and just like the game last week it was tight and they could have almost taken it to overtime and maybe even a victory. The played against Sweden this afternoon in the bronzemedal game and even in this game they did amazingly well. They lost in the end, which of course was a disappointment at first, because they were so close to winning the bronzemedal. The first one since the Olympic bronze in 1976 and it would have been the first at the worldchampionship since sometime in the 1950s.
And that's bascially why the end of this tournament was no disappointment at all. They were supposed to be relegated last year (and I have to say rightfully so, because they didn't play well) and now they made it to the seminfinal! They achieved so much more than anyone would (and could) have expected. They fought and never gave up and most of all they played so so well. Our defense player Christian Ehrhoff and our goalie Dennis Endras were chosen for the All-Star-Team (best players of the tournament) and goalie Dennis Endras was also named Most Valuable Player. Ther german goalie is MVP in the icehockey world championship. I'm so so happy about what happened at this tournament and I'm so so proud of these guys. It's not just the best game, but in this case, also the best team you can name!
I was hoping that they'd do better at this world championship at home with thousands of fan rooting for them. But I also was afraid that they might have to play in the relegation round and worst case scenario were relegated again.
But then there was the opening game with 77.000 viewers and a 2:1 victory against the USA. There were great games against Finland and Denmark in the prelimary round. Great games against Russia and Belarus and Slovakia in the qualifiying round. They won some, they lost some, but even when they lost it was always a tight game and they were never outplayed. They played amazingly and (I admit at least to me) surprisingly well. They advanced to the quarterfinals and met Switzerland, which they haven't beaten in a while. But they did this time. They met Russia again in the semifinals and just like the game last week it was tight and they could have almost taken it to overtime and maybe even a victory. The played against Sweden this afternoon in the bronzemedal game and even in this game they did amazingly well. They lost in the end, which of course was a disappointment at first, because they were so close to winning the bronzemedal. The first one since the Olympic bronze in 1976 and it would have been the first at the worldchampionship since sometime in the 1950s.
And that's bascially why the end of this tournament was no disappointment at all. They were supposed to be relegated last year (and I have to say rightfully so, because they didn't play well) and now they made it to the seminfinal! They achieved so much more than anyone would (and could) have expected. They fought and never gave up and most of all they played so so well. Our defense player Christian Ehrhoff and our goalie Dennis Endras were chosen for the All-Star-Team (best players of the tournament) and goalie Dennis Endras was also named Most Valuable Player. Ther german goalie is MVP in the icehockey world championship. I'm so so happy about what happened at this tournament and I'm so so proud of these guys. It's not just the best game, but in this case, also the best team you can name!