photo: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / ANDRE RINGUETTE
Germany celebrated two straight wins with a hat-trick in both of them. Lukas Reichel’s top line was the catalyst for a vital 6-2 victory over Austria.
Reichel led the way with a hat-trick, Josh Samanski had an eye-catching 3 (1+2) point game and Manuel Wiederer was credited with another German goal. Leon Wallner opened the scoring for Austria, and Vinzenz Rohrer was also on target.
Samanski enjoyed playing a role in Reichel’s treble: “Obviously an amazing feat to score a hat trick at the Worlds! I’m just really happy for him, seeing him put three in the back of the net, and happy that I could be part of it.”
Saturday night’s success in this neighbourhood rivalry gives Germany back-to-back wins and keeps Harold Kreis’s team in playoff contention after taking just one point from its first four games.
Austria, meanwhile, leapt out of the blocks with three straight wins, only to slump to an embarrassing 0-9 loss to the host. Today brought another heavy defeat, leaving Roger Bader’s team seeking another win to repeat last year’s run to the quarterfinals.
Clemens Unterweger felt his team contributed to its own downfall. “Germany was patient with their game plan,” he said. “We didn’t do what we were supposed to do. We took stupid penalties, too many penalties. They capitalized. They have great players and they have a great goalie. All night, I think they outworked us.
“We need to get back to our system. We’re still the underdogs in every game. It doesn’t matter how we started the tournament: we need that mindset back.”
The first period was the kind of feisty, nip-and-tuck battle you might expect from two neighbours. The pace was fast, the play tended towards the frantic, but there were few whistles and fewer big scoring chances.
Germany had reason to be happier at the first intermission, but Austria grabbed the opening goal at the start of the second period. Tim Harnisch brought play down the left and his saucer pass dropped perfectly for the onrushing Leon Wallner to beat Philipp Grubauer from close range.
But the response was instant. Sixty-six seconds later, Samanski produced a deft no-look backhand feed out in front for Reichel to shoot home.
Samanski continued to cause trouble in front of Atte Tolvanen’s net, setting up last night’s hat-trick hero Leon Gawanke. Tolvanen produced a double save to deny the defender.
But Samanski would not be denied, and crowned an eye-catching display with the go-ahead goal on 33:07. A neat triangle play saw his partnership with Reichel and Frederik Tiffels at its best; from a tight angle at the back door, the Edmonton Oiler had enough of a look to squeeze a shot inside the near post.
That top line got a power play chance early in the third. Now Seider took charge, pulling the PK out of shape and setting up Reichel for his second goal of the night. Samanski’s net-front presence contributed to Tolvanen’s problems as Germany moved 3-1 in front. That was only Germany’s second power play goal at this championship.
Maximillian Kastner is hoping that the special teams are stepping up at the right time. “It was, I think, also a little bit of a mental game for them after the first five games, not scoring or creating that much,” he said. “Today, when it was huge, they capitalized and stepped up.”
And the Germans made it two goals from four shots in the third period when Manuel Wiederer was credited with the fourth in the 49th minute. He was looking to feed the puck across the front of the net, but a deflection off David Maier took the puck into the Austrian net.
Austria needed a rapid response, and got one 34 seconds later. Vinzenz Rohrer’s shot from the right-hand circle didn’t look all that threatening, but somehow Grubauer allowed it over his shoulder.
But that hope was extinguished when Peter Schneider’s double minor was followed by a delay of game call on Thimo Nickl. The five-on-three power play saw Reichel complete his treble, putting the game beyond Austria’s reach even before Alexander Ehl scored an empty-netter.
Germany’s final group game is against Great Britain on Monday. A win there would keep the playoff dream alive with 10 points, but progress would likely depend on other results. Austria has two to play – Finland tomorrow, USA on Tuesday – and needs another win to cement a place in the last eight.
Reichel led the way with a hat-trick, Josh Samanski had an eye-catching 3 (1+2) point game and Manuel Wiederer was credited with another German goal. Leon Wallner opened the scoring for Austria, and Vinzenz Rohrer was also on target.
Samanski enjoyed playing a role in Reichel’s treble: “Obviously an amazing feat to score a hat trick at the Worlds! I’m just really happy for him, seeing him put three in the back of the net, and happy that I could be part of it.”
Saturday night’s success in this neighbourhood rivalry gives Germany back-to-back wins and keeps Harold Kreis’s team in playoff contention after taking just one point from its first four games.
Austria, meanwhile, leapt out of the blocks with three straight wins, only to slump to an embarrassing 0-9 loss to the host. Today brought another heavy defeat, leaving Roger Bader’s team seeking another win to repeat last year’s run to the quarterfinals.
Clemens Unterweger felt his team contributed to its own downfall. “Germany was patient with their game plan,” he said. “We didn’t do what we were supposed to do. We took stupid penalties, too many penalties. They capitalized. They have great players and they have a great goalie. All night, I think they outworked us.
“We need to get back to our system. We’re still the underdogs in every game. It doesn’t matter how we started the tournament: we need that mindset back.”
The first period was the kind of feisty, nip-and-tuck battle you might expect from two neighbours. The pace was fast, the play tended towards the frantic, but there were few whistles and fewer big scoring chances.
Germany had reason to be happier at the first intermission, but Austria grabbed the opening goal at the start of the second period. Tim Harnisch brought play down the left and his saucer pass dropped perfectly for the onrushing Leon Wallner to beat Philipp Grubauer from close range.
But the response was instant. Sixty-six seconds later, Samanski produced a deft no-look backhand feed out in front for Reichel to shoot home.
Samanski continued to cause trouble in front of Atte Tolvanen’s net, setting up last night’s hat-trick hero Leon Gawanke. Tolvanen produced a double save to deny the defender.
But Samanski would not be denied, and crowned an eye-catching display with the go-ahead goal on 33:07. A neat triangle play saw his partnership with Reichel and Frederik Tiffels at its best; from a tight angle at the back door, the Edmonton Oiler had enough of a look to squeeze a shot inside the near post.
That top line got a power play chance early in the third. Now Seider took charge, pulling the PK out of shape and setting up Reichel for his second goal of the night. Samanski’s net-front presence contributed to Tolvanen’s problems as Germany moved 3-1 in front. That was only Germany’s second power play goal at this championship.
Maximillian Kastner is hoping that the special teams are stepping up at the right time. “It was, I think, also a little bit of a mental game for them after the first five games, not scoring or creating that much,” he said. “Today, when it was huge, they capitalized and stepped up.”
And the Germans made it two goals from four shots in the third period when Manuel Wiederer was credited with the fourth in the 49th minute. He was looking to feed the puck across the front of the net, but a deflection off David Maier took the puck into the Austrian net.
Austria needed a rapid response, and got one 34 seconds later. Vinzenz Rohrer’s shot from the right-hand circle didn’t look all that threatening, but somehow Grubauer allowed it over his shoulder.
But that hope was extinguished when Peter Schneider’s double minor was followed by a delay of game call on Thimo Nickl. The five-on-three power play saw Reichel complete his treble, putting the game beyond Austria’s reach even before Alexander Ehl scored an empty-netter.
Germany’s final group game is against Great Britain on Monday. A win there would keep the playoff dream alive with 10 points, but progress would likely depend on other results. Austria has two to play – Finland tomorrow, USA on Tuesday – and needs another win to cement a place in the last eight.
Austria vs Germany - 2026 IIHF Men's World Championship
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