Germany is off to the quarterfinal after beating France 5-1 on Tuesday afternoon in Milano, Italy.
The Germans will take on Slovakia at 6:10 AM ET on Wednesday with the chance to qualify for the semifinal on Friday. France, meanwhile, will refocus on trying to make it back to the top division of the IIHfFWorld Championship for 2027 after getting relegated to Division IA last spring.
Josh Samanski led the way for Germany, scoring twice after taking good feeds from Edmonton Oilers teammate Leon Draisaitl. Frederik Tiffels, would score Germany’s second goal, while JJ Peterka would add one himself to help extend the lead. Nico Sturm would cap the night off with an empty-netter with about a minute to go in the game.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored France’s lone goal in what was likely his final major national team game with France. It came shortly after the team elected to sit Julian Junca after a rough first period, with Antoine Keller keeping the team in net with a good performance in goal.
Here’s a look at the top performers from the qualification battle:
France
#30 Antoine Keller, G (Washington Capitals): Keller didn’t start this game. But after Julian Junca’s rough first period, Keller came in as relief and was rock solid the rest of the way. Sometimes, a goalie change can be enough to spark a team. Germany scored shortly into the second period and then Keller shut the door throughout the rest of the frame. It felt like a really strong showing from a goaltender trying to prove he can handle the pressure in what has been an otherwise difficult experience for the team’s crease guardians.
#41 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, C: If this indeed is the final major event of Bellemare’s career, he went out with a bang. He’s not known as a goal-scorer, but he fired a shot from behind the goal line that went off a defender and in to give France some life. Bellemare is on the oldest side at 40, but he still laid everything on the line with a strong two-way effort. He’s a leader, through and through.
Germany
#18 Tim Stutzle, C (Ottawa Senators): Stutzle had a solid two-assist effort, starting the puck movement on the opening power-play goal and then setting up Peterka on the 3-0 marker. Stutzle has given defenders nightmares because after they feel like they’ve dealt with Draisaitl, Stutzle has been there to pick up the slack just a shift later. Draisaitl has had a better tournament overall, but Stutzle has been very, very important to Germany’s success.
#29 Leon Draisaitl, C (Edmonton Oilers): Again, surprise surprise. Draisaitl helped set up his good buddy Josh Samanski on the first and third goals, and then led the charge, shot-wise, throughout most of the game. He even gave up what would have been a sure empty-net goal to let Nico Sturm hit the scoresheet at the end. Draisaitl knows how important his own effort is to Germany’s success and it feels like he’s always trying to take the team on his back. That doesn’t mean he needs to be the one scoring, though, because he’s also the team’s best playmaker, and his physical strength makes it tough to contain him.
#44 Josh Samanski, LW (Edmonton Oilers): Samanski scored a pair of goals, exploiting the extra ice on the power play. He’s a big guy who loves to spend time by the opponents’ crease, and it paid off with his best showing to date. Samasnki isn’t a high-skill forward but he’s tough to push around and loves to make life miserable for goaltenders.
#77 JJ Peterka, RW (Utah Mammoth): This felt like Peterka’s best game. He scored the 3-0 goal on a great shot, but he was also one of Germany’s better backchecking wingers. He’s one of Germany’s most skilled forwards, making creative plays on the rush at speed. It just felt like Peterka was in the right spot at the right time more often than not in this one.
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