Dichow is Denmark’s shoot-out hero

The hometown party continues in Herning. Denmark snatched a shoot-out success over Germany in the final game in Group B, advancing to the quarter-finals at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Goalie Frederik Dichow stopped all four German attempts in the shoot-out after a 1-1 tie in regulation.

Nick Olesen opened up the shoot-out with a beautiful drag move to the backhand and Joachim Blichfeld followed up with a great release over Philipp Grubauer’s glove.

For the Germans, a fourth successive loss spelled the end of this year’s tournament at the end of what was, in effect, a game seven decider.

But this was jubilation for Denmark. The host nation seemed down and out after dropping its first three games. But Mikael Gath’s team never stopped believing and reeled off four wins in a row to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Befitting the high stakes, the action was intense and anxious. It was night destined for greater drama than quality as two nervous teams struggled for cohesion and structure.

The big pre-game boost for Denmark was the sight of Nikolaj Ehlers suiting up for the first time in the championship. He jetted in from Winnipeg this morning to try and help his country into the last eight on home ice. Defender Nicholas B Jensen also returned for only his second game of the tournament.

There was a long wait for the opening goal. Denmark had the better first-period opportunities, starting with the opening power play of the game when Mathias Bau provoked Korbinian Gieble into a cross-check. With Ehlers quarterbacking the play, the Danes moved the puck nicely around the zone but managed nothing more threatening that a Patrick Russell shot off the side of the net.

There was less to show from the German offence and Harold Kreis’s men struggled even on the power play.

Late in the frame, the teams traded big chances. First, the lively Nick Olesen profited from Marc Michaelis’s wayward pass, collecting the puck between the hash marks and forcing Grubauer into a blocker save. Then, at the other end, Frederik Tiffels got on the rush and saw the ice open out in front of him. He fired in a dangerous shot, but Dichow had the answer.

Things remained disjointed at the start of the second. With little cohesion, the key moments came from individual flair. Tim Stutzle, a player whose obvious talent seems to need a goal to settle him down, had a great early look when he used his pace to race into the Danish zone before…