Slovakia secures QF spot

In a half-empty Bell Centre, Germany has maybe the last chance to avoid relegation round facing an inconstant Slovakia, very good with Finland, very bad against Canada and USA. The three golden points earned with Finland should be a good insurance for Ernest Bokros squad to advance for quarter-finals as third in the group, meaning avoid powerful Sweden in the second phase. Germany can’t count on defender Fabio Wagner, injured, and have Ilya Sharipov in the net after the good performance against USA; Slovakia has defender Erik Cernak back after serving suspension, and Denis Godla between the pipes. It’s David Trinkberger to call Slovak goalie to the first difficult save after five quiet minutes, but Sharipov has to face two more difficult saves on Rosandic and Lantosi in following minutes. At 10 Saeftel misses the deflection on a good pass, at 11 Godla blocks on Manuel Wiederer, but Germany attacking leaves defense unattended so at 09:58 Cehlarik finds an hole and serves Robert Lantosi for an easy one-to-one with Sharipov.  Germany could tie shortly after with Wiederer, but Godla saves and with Nico Sturm shoting over the bar well served by Michaelis. Not bad in the attack, Germany has many problems in the defense, so at 13:10 David Soltes steals a puck and shots, Sharipov deflects but Martin Reway is ready to get in the net. Again a bad defensive strategy at 15:03 leaves Patrik Koys alone behind the cage: forward can wait for Matus Sukel takes position, xserving him for a no-escape one timer.  Germany should finally celebrate its first goal in the tournament at 18:46 on power play: in the same action Godla saves on Tiffels, made another fantastic save on Kahun rebound but have to concede the goal on second Tiffels try. And at the last gasp of first period Slovak goalie is decisive in blocking with the body a deflection from Kahun.

Martin Revak's second goal

In the opening of second period Germany has a couple of good chances with Eisenschmid and Michaelis and Kai Wissmann around minute 30, while Slovakia seems to control the game. At 31 Godla stopped Maximilian Kammerer shot in a spectacular save. Slovakia survives two power play with a chance on counter attack for Cehlarik during the second one. The period closes with a shot by Cehlarik deflected by Sharipov

Frederik Tiffels scores his first goal of the night: won't help Germany

In the last period the balance is broken by a boob from goalie Sharapov, losing the puck behind the net allowing Martin Reway to score his second, very easy goal. At 45:36 chance for Tiffels on a penalty shot, the Western Michigan forward scores with class. At 51:00 fantastic save by Godla on Jonas Muller: the Slovak goalie jumps to deflect the puck with an martial art move, on the opposite side Sharipov isn’t so spectacular, but in the same way effective in deflecting a difficult shot by Lantosi. At 55 bad charge of Fabio Pfohl on goalie Godla and deserved penalty leaving his team with 3 men on the ice, but Sharipov is a wall for the Slovak forwards. Coach Cortina tries to pull the goalie for the last assault but Martin Reway has no mercy and scores empty net his hattrick, closing an easy game for Slovakia that steadies its position as third in the group. Germany has now one more game against Finland to clinch an historic quarterfinal, but is more probable to see Pat Cortina troop in a complicate relegation series

MVP: Frederik Tiffels – Robert Lantosi

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