World Cup thriller against Austria
Hungary goes straight back down in the most bitter way
05/22/2023, 10:29 p.m
Bitter knockout: Promoted Hungary is relegated directly to the World Cup in Finland and Latvia after an ice hockey thriller. The team of the American Kevin Constantine loses the decisive last round match in Group A against Austria after a penalty shootout.
Hungary is the second nation after Slovenia to be relegated to Group B at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Finland and Latvia. Austria won the decisive Group A match against Hungary 4-3 (1-2, 2-1, 0-0) in Tampere after a thriller with a penalty shoot-out and remains top-class. In Group B in Riga, Latvia, Slovenia had already been relegated. Both nations will be replaced by Great Britain and Poland at the next World Cup in the Czech Republic next year.
The Hungarians, who lost 7-2 to the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) the day before, were leading 3-1 after 25 minutes, but conceded the equalizer in a wild game. Neither in regular time nor in overtime did a team manage the lucky punch. Dominique Heinrich converted the decisive penalty with an uncompromising shot under the crossbar. Previously, Manuel Ganahl scored after a clever feint. Austria’s goalie Bernhard Starkbaum was able to defuse all attempts by Hungary. You can’t get off more bitterly.
Denmark, meanwhile, suffered a setback in the fight for the last place in the quarter-finals in the German group. The German national team’s competitor for fourth place lost 4-1 (1-1, 0-1, 0-2) to Sweden in their penultimate game and is still one point behind. That’s what the team of coach Harold Kreis has in their last league game on Tuesday (11.20 a.m. live on Sport1 and MagentaSport and in the live ticker on ntv.de) against France even in the hand to reach the knockout stages. At the end (7.20 p.m.) Denmark meets defending champions Finland. Should Germany win, it is already certain that there will be a duel with the grandiose Swiss team in the quarter-finals.