CZECHS CHALLENGE FALTERING GERMANS, ČERVENKA AND CO. CAN CONFIRM DOMINANCE

← Back

 

May 20, 2025

Germany - Czech Republic 

2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, Copenhagen, Denmark

On Monday, May 20, 2025, Germany will face the Czech Republic in the group stage of the Ice Hockey World Championship. The match offers a clash between a Czech team in excellent form against a German squad that has stumbled in their last two games after a strong start.

The 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship has moved into its critical phase, and the Czech team has been shining so far! After five games played, they have 14 points and have secured advancement to the quarterfinals. Now, they face their first real test since the opening game against Switzerland - on Monday, our national team will challenge German hockey players who have hit reality after a great start.

The Czech team has lost only one point so far - in the opening battle with Switzerland (5:4 in overtime). Since then, they have recorded four consecutive wins and a crushing score of 23:5! The last two games against Hungary (6:1) and Kazakhstan (8:1) turned into exhibitions. "I might slightly question the meaning of these games, where we mainly struggle with our own concentration and motivation," admitted coach Radim Rulík after the crushing victory over Kazakhstan. The Czech selection thus confirms their form and ambitions in the tournament.

A ceremonial moment came for captain Roman Červenka, who played his 100th game at the World Championship in the match against Kazakhstan! And how else could he celebrate it than with a hat trick? The legendary forward thus holds third place in the tournament's scoring (10 points). The experienced leader thus confirms his exceptional form.

Our western neighbors started the World Championship like a hurricane - three consecutive wins against Hungary (6:1), Kazakhstan (4:1), and Norway (5:2). But then came the matches against Switzerland and the USA... "The Swiss hurricane named Andrighetto" gave them a thrashing (1:5), and with the Americans, they only kept pace in the second period, when they erased a three-goal deficit, but eventually fell 3:6. Now the Germans are fighting for the last qualifying spot, and the game against the Czech Republic will be crucial for their confidence. They were also weakened by the unexpected departure of Lukas Reichel from the Chicago Blackhawks, who injured his shoulder and is out for the tournament. The German team is thus experiencing a difficult period.

Czech offensive power is based on a number of distinctive individuals. Roman Červenka and David Pastrňák both have 10 points and are among the most productive players in the tournament. Adam Klapka, a rookie, shone against Kazakhstan (2+1). The defensive pair of Filip Hronek and Jakub Krejčík has already collected 10 assists! On the German side, the main weapons are Tim Stützle, the Ottawa Senators star (79 points in 82 NHL games), Moritz Seider, Detroit's 24-year-old defenseman and stable 40-point NHL player, and Philipp Grubauer, Seattle Kraken goaltender and the greatest hope between the pipes. The duel thus offers a clash of stars from the world's best league.

The history of head-to-head matches is clearly on the Czech side. Out of 15 World Championship games, we have lost to the Germans only once - in 2007 (0:2). Since then, we have 5 consecutive victories. Our last victory over Germany was in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Championship, from which we took bronze. Tradition thus speaks clearly for the Czech team.

In Monday's duel, Dan Vladař will start in the Czech goal, having secured wins against Denmark and Hungary so far. There are question marks over the starts of TomášKundrátek and Jakub Lauko, who are recovering from injuries. The Czech team needs to awaken their 2nd and 3rd lines - so far, the team has been carried mainly by the elite line, with Martin Nečas struggling a bit. The Germans must score points - after two defeats, they desperately need a win to secure their qualifying position. The duel thus offers interesting tactical aspects.

The game against Germany begins a real test for the Czech national team. After a series of "mandatory" wins, tougher opponents are coming who will test our readiness for the knockout stages. Can Rulík's team confirm their excellent form and move closer to winning the group?

Photo: source XYZ 

We thank the IIHF for providing the statistical data.