Team Germany’s road to Olympic gold hit a speed bump Saturday morning, falling 4-3 to a scrappy Team Latvia squad in a game that had no shortage of drama. While the loss doesn’t eliminate Germany from contention in Group C, it certainly tightens the margins heading into their final group-stage matchup.
Coming off a 3-1 win over Denmark on Thursday, Germany looked poised to keep the momentum rolling. And early on, it seemed like they might.
Lukas Reichel got the scoring started just two minutes in, capitalizing on a sharp setup from Dominik Kahun and Lukas Kalble. But Latvia had an answer.
Dans Ločmelis evened things up late in the first, only for Kalble to strike back just over a minute later, giving Germany a 2-1 lead heading into the second.
That lead didn’t last. Ločmelis once again found the back of the net midway through the second period, and Latvia kept pressing. Eduards Tralmaks and Renārs Krastenbergs scored just minutes apart in the third, flipping the script and putting Germany on the ropes.
Germany did manage to claw one back late in the third, with Tim Stützle scoring his third of the tournament with the goalie pulled. Leon Draisaitl picked up the assist-his third point of the tournament-but despite a flurry of chances in the dying seconds, Germany couldn’t find the equalizer. Draisaitl, who had been dominant all game, lost two critical faceoffs in the final minute that helped Latvia hang on for the upset.
Draisaitl Does It All-Almost
If there was any doubt about who Germany’s engine is, Draisaitl erased it. He was a force from start to finish, logging a game-high 28:30 of ice time and firing a tournament-high 10 shots on goal.
That’s more than a third of Germany’s total shots in the game. He didn’t score, but he was everywhere-creating chances, setting up teammates, and taking over shifts when Germany needed a push.
It was the kind of performance Oilers fans are all too familiar with: heavy minutes, relentless pressure, and a constant threat in the offensive zone. But like in Edmonton at times, it wasn’t quite enough.
Germany loaded up late, putting Draisaitl out with Stützle, J.J. Peterka, and Moritz Seider in a last-ditch push.
The talent was there. The effort was there.
The finish just wasn’t.
Around the Roster
Former Oilers forward Dominik Kahun chipped in with an assist in 14 and a half minutes of ice time, while Tobias Rieder saw limited action-just eight minutes-and took a penalty. He did manage to get a couple of shots off, but his impact was minimal.
Current Oilers forward Josh Samanski played over 20 minutes and had one of Germany’s best chances on a second-period power play, but couldn’t convert. That missed opportunity loomed large when Latvia seized momentum shortly afterward.
Between the pipes, Philipp Grubauer had a rough outing. He stopped just 18 of 22 shots for a .818 save percentage-well below the standard he set in Thursday’s win over Denmark. It wasn’t all on him, but Germany needed a steadier performance in net to weather Latvia’s push.
What’s Next in Group C?
Despite the loss, Germany’s path to winning Group C is still alive-but the margin for error is gone. The key game was always going to be against Team USA, and that hasn’t changed.
Assuming the Americans take care of business against Denmark, they’ll sit at six points to Germany’s three. A regulation win by Germany on Sunday would give them the head-to-head tiebreaker and a shot at the top spot.
If Latvia also beats Denmark, all three teams would finish with six points, and the tiebreaker would shift to goal differential. That’s a bridge Germany will cross if they get there.
First, they need to beat the Americans. And that won’t be easy.
Germany closes out the group stage Sunday at 1:10 PM MT in what’s shaping up to be a must-watch showdown. With Draisaitl leading the charge and the stakes sky-high, expect Germany to throw everything they’ve got at Team USA.