International: German Junior National Teams

[Maverick41]

I think I have talked enough about my thoughts on our dmen yesterday, so now I want to share some thoughts on the forwards:

1st Line Bicker - Brandl - Ruckdäschel:
They were the kind of the strongest line. Each player had their moments where they almost created something and on a couple of occasions they actually generated shots that were at least semi dangerous.

2nd Line Focks - Vinzens - Sumpf:
Focks and Vinzens, well they tried, Focks a little harder, but Vinzens clearly showed more skill, but couldn't really create much. That left Sumpf to mostly create things by himself and to his credit he did. He almost created as much offense by himself as the 1st line did together (only a slight hyperbole). Sometimes Vinzens helped to facilitate while Focks seemed a little disconnected from them. To me it looked like Focks was playing a little too high in the lineup, and was not an ideal fit for his linemates, but at least he worked his ass off from start to finish.

3rd Line Jakovlev - Pul - Schreiner:
Pul was a bit like Sumpf in that he tried to create a lot by himself and even came close a few time to create some really good chances, but ultimately fell short. He got 2 shots on net, but they were not exactly high danger scoring chances. Schreiner, to me, seemed to struggle with the lack of time and space. He is a creative player, but couldn't get anything going because it seemed like he could not process the game at this speed. Jakovleve, who I have liked in previous tournaments, was pretty bad overall. The only times I noticed him, was when he made mistakes or bad decisions. Except once when he got the chance to pounce on a loose puck in the slot for maybe our best scoring chance, but was unable to convert. I am sure he will bounce back though.

4th Line Fischer - Hildebrand - Münzenberger:
I was actually pleasantly surprised that they were mostly invisible throughout the game. Both Hildebrand and Münzenberger managed to throw a low percentage shot on the Canadian net helping Bjarnason to up his save percentage a little bit, but there really was no offense on this line. Fischer who, once upon a time, looked like he could be an effective and skillful offensive player, does not resemble that player even a little bit these days, but his defensive game has improved a lot and he had couple nice hustle plays both in his own zone as well as the neutral zone.

I kind of want to merge Focks and Münzenberger. Focks' speed and hustle paired with Münzenbergers skill, vision and smarts would make for a very good hockey player at this level.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on our forwards performance vs Canada. Let's see how they will do today.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Best game of the tournament - I think that goes without saying. Great effort but can’t help but think that we deserved a better fate.



Julius Sumpf was great in the game - him and Vinzens were really feeding off each other, making difficult passes in the offensive zone, excellent through transition and just creating a good amount of offensive chances. He had a goal and an assist, the goal was as a result of some nice puck movement on the PP by him and Tropmann, and he wired a wrister from the blueline that beat everyone.



Kevin Bicker was the best player in this game - his speed was a big factor throughout the game, pushing defenders back, keeping them on edge and even having a couple breakaways from excellent breakout plays. He converted on one of them, and drew a penalty shot for another.



Norwin Panchoa was the most steady defender I thought, positioning himself well, maintaining his gaps, using his stick effectively, and just being poised in the defensive end. He scored a PP goal as a forward playing in front of the net where he banged home a goal - he also added an assist later on in the game when he took a hit to move the puck to Brandl.



Linus Brandl played a smart game - his feet continue to be an issue but he was the reason Bicker was able to get away for that breakaway goal, by picking the puck up from behind the net, weaving through a couple defenders and making an excellent pass to Bicker on the breakout.



Edwin Tropmann was excellent, moving the puck well on the PP, creating time and space for his teammates, using good deception from the blueline and wasn’t afraid to carry the puck. A nice change of pace this game. He was rewarded with a 2 point game.



Willerscheid was solid enough, shaky - the one goal where he went to catch but it bounced right off his glove to Dalibor Dvorsky, he probably wishes he had back. A certainly didn’t lose the game with his performance, but he also didn’t win us the game either, in a game that was certainly winnable.



I’d like to take a moment and Shame Niehus for his dumb, dumb penalty. Lost the game, and could get relegated because of it. Don’t know what he was thinking, it was a dangerous play and a late hit like that has no place in the sport. Maybe I’m being harsh here, but I hope the NT question brining him to future events because he is a loose cannon out there. The good doesn’t outweigh the bad. He is now second all time at this tournament with 54 PIMS. So there is that.



We play Norway to avoid relegation, we’re definitely the favourites bur don’t count out the Norwegians… they’re still a solid squad.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Feels wrong for such a good team like Germany to play relegation. Should have been Sweden vs Norway instead. But yeah eazy win against Sweden for sure for you germans. A small prize but a win is a win.

Do you guys think that Griva twins and David Lewandowski could have done good in this tournament or is it too early?

 

[pgfan66]

Best game of the tournament - I think that goes without saying. Great effort but can’t help but think that we deserved a better fate.



Julius Sumpf was great in the game - him and Vinzens were really feeding off each other, making difficult passes in the offensive zone, excellent through transition and just creating a good amount of offensive chances. He had a goal and an assist, the goal was as a result of some nice puck movement on the PP by him and Tropmann, and he wired a wrister from the blueline that beat everyone.



Kevin Bicker was the best player in this game - his speed was a big factor throughout the game, pushing defenders back, keeping them on edge and even having a couple breakaways from excellent breakout plays. He converted on one of them, and drew a penalty shot for another.



Norwin Panchoa was the most steady defender I thought, positioning himself well, maintaining his gaps, using his stick effectively, and just being poised in the defensive end. He scored a PP goal as a forward playing in front of the net where he banged home a goal - he also added an assist later on in the game when he took a hit to move the puck to Brandl.



Linus Brandl played a smart game - his feet continue to be an issue but he was the reason Bicker was able to get away for that breakaway goal, by picking the puck up from behind the net, weaving through a couple defenders and making an excellent pass to Bicker on the breakout.



Edwin Tropmann was excellent, moving the puck well on the PP, creating time and space for his teammates, using good deception from the blueline and wasn’t afraid to carry the puck. A nice change of pace this game. He was rewarded with a 2 point game.



Willerscheid was solid enough, shaky - the one goal where he went to catch but it bounced right off his glove to Dalibor Dvorsky, he probably wishes he had back. A certainly didn’t lose the game with his performance, but he also didn’t win us the game either, in a game that was certainly winnable.



I’d like to take a moment and Shame Niehus for his dumb, dumb penalty. Lost the game, and could get relegated because of it. Don’t know what he was thinking, it was a dangerous play and a late hit like that has no place in the sport. Maybe I’m being harsh here, but I hope the NT question brining him to future events because he is a loose cannon out there. The good doesn’t outweigh the bad. He is now second all time at this tournament with 54 PIMS. So there is that.



We play Norway to avoid relegation, we’re definitely the favourites bur don’t count out the Norwegians… they’re still a solid squad.

I’ll probably post a detailed write up of my thoughts after the final group stage game or relegation, so I’ll just comment on the Niehus thing now.

I fully agree with you and what makes it worse is that it was his second 5+game in three games. He was a bit overeager, I guess, trying too hard to make something happen, and it hurt him and his team in the end. Completely unnecessary, especially because he was having a really good game up to this point too.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Best game of the tournament - I think that goes without saying. Great effort but can’t help but think that we deserved a better fate.....

They arrived. And wow, a 4-2 lead halfway through looked real nice.

Willerscheid even spent a good bit of this game looking like he'd be the calm presence in goal that the team needed.

It was their best game.

Unfortunately, the players with cool heads and who know how to play by the KISS principle are far and few apart on this team. Goals 1 and 3 for SVK had no business happening. Both were preventable with a safe, smart play in the seconds before they took place. The slight caving in that led to SVK scoring 4 straight goals was unfortunate, but almost not entirely unexpected.

It's the little, little, little things that decided games ("a game of inches" and all that), and this team didn't do the little things right often enough to pull this thing out.

I admit that I'm on the critical side. I know these are still teenagers and they aren't at that point where they can do the little things right, consistently, as a tactic.

I’d like to take a moment and Shame Niehus for his dumb, dumb penalty. Lost the game, and could get relegated because of it. Don’t know what he was thinking, it was a dangerous play and a late hit like that has no place in the sport. Maybe I’m being harsh here, but I hope the NT question brining him to future events because he is a loose cannon out there. The good doesn’t outweigh the bad. He is now second all time at this tournament with 54 PIMS. So there is that.

"Shame" is a tough adjective here.

It was ill-advised as you just cannot be taking any unnecessary risks there at that juncture of the game. In addition, the game is fast and it looks like he was honing in for the hit before Pekarcik had moved the puck.

Alas, the contact came late (it looks longer in the slow-mo of video review than it appeared live) and Pekarcik also tried to avoid the hit last second, so it turned into something not pretty. And it ultimately became a dagger in the heart of Germany's ambitions. In fact, the second the refs issued the 5-minute penalty, the game was over. I mean, did anyone think they were going to play 5 straight minutes of shorthanded play and not allow a goal?

As a former defenseman and current coach, I'd generally want my Dmen putting their shoulder in that oncoming forward's chest every single time that forward starts to slow down in order to weave into the middle. Under normal circumstances. Naturally, take the man or the puck - have to come up with one of the two. If you take the man, your partner can usually pick up the puck.

As I saw it in the limited angles of review, with the point of contact basically cut out of the camera frame, Niehus was already in the process of moving right into a Pekarcik who was starting to weave to the middle.

But at this point in the game and with the score and situation such as it was, you're best advised to avoid any such big hit attempts. The result of the whole thing is the exact reason why.

That's all MHO.

We play Norway to avoid relegation, we’re definitely the favourites bur don’t count out the Norwegians… they’re still a solid squad.

I watched Norway against USA. I watched some of the game against Latvia.

I hate to say it, but that Norwegian team plays within its limits and has several forwards who love to pick up the puck and effectively skate it all the way into the opposition zone. They have some bangers and perhaps their two best players build their first defensive pairing. Sure, they've all had their problems against the big boys and the 5-0 loss to Switzerland may not have happened to that degree in another venue, but that team looked much more organized than Germany has to date. The 1-0 game against Latvia could have gone either way.

After seeing what I have, Germany can be VERY thankful that Nygârd is not part of this tournament. The only thing that team is seriously missing are players who can finish. The rest of their game - including physical play - is adequate enough to retain the (Russia and Belarus-free) class.

Gonna be a battle and all of the games should be pretty close.

I don't even want to think about how bad a look it'd be if Germany is relegated...

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

I’ll probably post a detailed write up of my thoughts after the final group stage game or relegation, so I’ll just comment on the Niehus thing now.

I fully agree with you and what makes it worse is that it was his second 5+game in three games. He was a bit overeager, I guess, trying too hard to make something happen, and it hurt him and his team in the end. Completely unnecessary, especially because he was having a really good game up to this point too.

And he's an assistant captain.

Wear a letter on your chest, then you're expected to NOT be one of the guys making ill-advised plays in critical situations.

Feels wrong for such a good team like Germany to play relegation. Should have been Sweden vs Norway instead. But yeah eazy win against Sweden for sure for you germans. A small prize but a win is a win.

This is sarcasm, right?

Do you guys think that Griva twins and David Lewandowski could have done good in this tournament or is it too early?

These players will have their day. I sure would like to see them in Group A action and not the D1A sometime.

However, I'm not sure they'd be a plus for this team just now.

I do think they can handle the puck a lot better than a host of players currently on the team.

 

[Maverick41]

I am finally catching up.
Have watched the Slovakia game and now most of the game vs. Sweden so far. Will share some of my thoughts on the play during the group stage after the game is ended.

One quick preview:
@pgfan66 may be glad to know that I am now fully aboard the Panocha bandwagon. The details about that I will share later, but he is the player that has changed my mind the most, while others have more or less confirmed what I was already thinking.

 

[pgfan66]

I am finally catching up.
Have watched the Slovakia game and now most of the game vs. Sweden so far. Will share some of my thoughts on the play during the group stage after the game is ended.

One quick preview:
@pgfan66 may be glad to know that I am now fully aboard the Panocha bandwagon. The details about that I will share later, but he is the player that has changed my mind the most, while others have more or less confirmed what I was already thinking.

Haha welcome to the club. He’s been this good all year long. Or rather, kept getting better to reach this point.

 

[Maverick41]

With the group stage over these are my thoughts on the performance of each of our players.

Disclaimer: I only saw the 1st period vs. the Czechs paying full attention, while the 2nd and 3rd period were just on in the background.
I also missed parts of the 1st period against Sweden.

I am doing this in ascending order of the jersey numbers except my top3 players of the group stage which I’ll do last. I will post them in groups of 5 (Except the top3 who will get their own post) as I finish them, to keep the posts somewhat short.

So, let’s get started:

#1 G Nico Pertuch (EV Landshut) – 1 GP | 59:21 Min | 2.02 GAA | 0.926 SvPct
Pertuch only played one game, the last one against Sweden, and did an amazing job, even if the second goal against was very soft. Sure, the Swedes had nothing to play for in the game, but that was still a very good performance. He is a very calm big goalie who does not move around a lot. He tries to get in position quickly and then holds his ground.

#3 D Edwin Tropmann (Kölner Junghaie) – 4 GP | 0 G | 2 A | 2 P | 29 PIM | - 3
He was not as good as I had hoped, but improved a lot after that bad first game against Canada. I liked him playing with Paul Mayer as they seemed to stabilize each other’s game a little. Defensively overmatched at times, but he did show some flashes of offense and did ok on the power play especially against Slovakia.

#4 D Jonas Müller (SC Rapperswil-Jona) – 4 GP | 0 G | 1 A | 1 P | 0 PIM | ± 0
Not a lot that stood out, but overall, pretty solid performance for that exact reason. Held his own quite well defensively and even got involved in the offense a few times, and his assist was a beauty.

#5 D Paul Mayer (Jungadler Mannheim) – 4 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 P | 2 PIM | - 3
Unfortunately, he was not able to replicate his performance from the DNL playoffs. As usual you could catch glimpses of his tools, but the tool box seems to have gone missing again. He had his moments, and a few gaffes aside, was ok defensively, but I wanted to see him more assertive and getting more involved in the offense.

#7 F Jonas Fischer (ESV Kaufbeuren) – 4 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 P | 0 PIM | - 2
Played on the 4th line and did an ok job in that role. The entire line never really managed to generate much offense, but every player hustled and put in a solid effort, which improved when Jakovlev replaced Münzenberger on the line who was ill-suited for this style.
Fischer was not a liability, which is not a bad thing I guess, though I am still wondering what happened to the Jonas Fischer from the start of last season.


The next 5 might take some time, because my write ups will be interrupted by me having dinner.

 

[Maverick41]

On to part two:

#9 F Elias Pul (Red Bull Hockey Academy) – 4 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 P | 2 PIM | ± 0
I really liked his play, even more so after he was promoted to the first line along Bicker and Brandl. He played with confidence, which I liked to see in the only underager. He did not register a point, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. He brought a lot of energy and more skill than I expected. Looking forward to see him back next year, hopefully still in the elite division.

#10 F Timo Ruckdäschel (Red Bull Hockey Juniors) – 4 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 P | 0 PIM | - 6
A bit disappointing and I thought he actually did better after he was “demoted” to the third line with Schreiner and Focks. The thing about Ruckdäschel is, that he can usually be useful and valuable for a team, even if his offense stalls a bit. And while hints of that could be seen during the group stage, he struggled overall more than I expected from him and was not as solid defensively as he needed to be.
Definitely one of the underperformers so far.

#11 F Raphael Jakovlev (EV Landshut) – 4 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 P | 2 PIM | - 1
Jakovlev had a really bad first game, but stabilized in the games since, especially after joining Hildebrand and Fischer on the 4th line. He started to skate better and use his frame a lot more effectively. While his line did not generate a lot of offense, what little they did, mostly went through him. He’s certainly not a difference maker at this level, but a decent role player.

#12 D Henry Homann (EV Landshut) – 4 GP | 0 G | 1 A | 1 P | 0 PIM | -3
I’ll admit I was not a fan of his going into the tournament, and while his play did not exactly turn me into a fan, he did improve my opinion of his game. Not a whole lot of offense, but as the tournament went on, he improved his board game and did an ok job defensively, still not necessarily a player I expect to see at the World Juniors in a year or two. But still, plenty of time to prove me wrong. He would have to work on his transition game though.

#13 F Vadim Schreiner (Red Bull Hockey Juniors) – 4 GP | 1 G | 0 A | 1 P | 2 PIM | - 1
I was a bit worried after the first game, but Schreiner really turned things around after a bad start. He even surprised me with some speed/acceleration that I did not remember him having to this degree. There were a couple of times when he picked up speed across the neutral zone and stickhandled himself through 2 or 3 opponents. In the last couple of games, he did a really good job driving the 3rd line generating more offense than I expected from that trio. Also did pretty well on special teams.

 

[Maverick41]

Now for part three:

#15 D Kilian Kühnhauser (Starbulls Rosenheim) – 4 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 P | 0 PIM | - 6
Can’t recall many positives from his game. This may sound a bit mean, but I did not have high expectations and he sort of met them. I just don’t think he should play at this level.

#17 F Niclas Focks (Krefelder EV) – 4 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 P | 4 PIM | - 3
I mentioned it before, I like his hustle and his speed. His motor was going in every game, but his skill is just a little too limited to create much against this kind of competition. He was a good fit for the 3rd line though, working hard, getting into people’s faces. Nice complimentary bottom 6er.

#18 D Lua Niehus (Jungadler Mannheim) – 3 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 P | 54 PIM | - 1
To sum his performance up in 1 word: “Frustrating”. As always you could see here and there that he has both the skill and the physical means to be an effective defender who can also pitch in offensively. But not only did he have a bad start to the tournament, like pretty much everyone else, he also ruined the best chance the team had to win a game with an unnecessary late hit resulting in his second major penalty in three games, earning him a suspension causing him to miss the last game against Sweden. And all that after playing pretty well in that game, too. Up to that hit he had found a good measure in his physicality, playing the body hard but never crossing the line and he also did well walking and holding the blue line in the offensive zone. I am not giving up on this young man yet, there is still a ton of potential there, but he needs to be more mindful with his hits.

#19 F Marco Münzenberger (Kölner Junghaie) – 4 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 P | 0 PIM | - 1
He was not playing well on the 4th line to start the tournament, but was promoted to play on the 2nd line with Sumpf and Vinzens nevertheless, and that was a good choice. He was not a good fit on a line with no offensive skill to speak off, he’s much better suited playing alongside guys who can move the needle on offense. And while he did much better after the switch, he still wasn’t able to get a lot done. It seemed that the pace was just a tad bit too fast for him.

#20 F Maurice Hildebrand (Jungadler Mannheim) – 4 GP | 0 G | 0 A | 0 P | 0 PIM | - 2
Hildebrand didn’t exactly have standout performances, but he was very consistent, doing his job defensively pretty well and while his offense never really materialized for him, he came close a few times, and considering the competition and his role, I felt he did very well.

 

[Maverick41]

Part four:

#23 F Linus Brandl (Jungadler Mannheim) – 4 GP | 1 G | 1 A | 2 P | 0 PIM | - 2
Of our skill guys Brandl was the least impressive, although he did a lot of things right, I expected him to be more in control of the game. After the bad start he did about as well as I expected, which is not so bad, considering I had probably the highest expectations on him. Still, he kind of became the co-star to Bicker on their line, but he did well in this secondary role, facilitating, backchecking and hustling after loose pucks.

#24 F Paul Vinzens (Red Bull Hockey Academy) – 4 GP | 0 G | 1 A | 1 P | 4 PIM | - 5
Like Brandl he was sort of playing second fiddle on his line, but also like Brandl he did well in that role providing Sumpf an option for give and goes and a target player in the offensive zone to pass the puck to. Sometimes it also worked well the other way around with Vinzens finding Sumpf in promising scoring positions. They really played quite well off one another displaying just as much chemistry as Brandl and Bicker.

#26 D Lars Bosecker (Red Bull Hockey Juniors) – 4 GP | 0 G | 1 A | 1 P | 2 PIM | ± 0
He was one of the better defenders in that abysmal showing against Canada, but overall, he had a few defensive gaffes that did not look good. And yet he played a pretty consistent defensive game throughout the group stage, doing good work along the boards and also transitioning the puck out of the zone at times. He was also part of that 3D power play unit with Tropmann and Panocha, that did not work well at first, but clicked pretty well against Slovakia. Ending the group stage with an even +/- was not a mere accident.

#29 G Valentin Ankirchner (Red Bull Hockey Academy) – 1 GP | 20:36 Min | 11.65 GAA | 0.600 SvPct
Not a good tournament for him. Before it started, I thought he might be able to be the starter, but he really did not do a good job in his one start and was pulled just after the start of the second period. The sample size is too small to draw any major conclusions, but it was not a good look for him.

#30 G Leon Willerscheid (Kölner Junghaie) – 3 GP | 158:21 Min | 6.06 GAA | 0.857 SvPct
Willerscheid was awarded the spot of #1 goalie, and he did well against Canada all things considered, even giving up 8 goals, since he was pretty much fighting them off all by himself. I though he looked quite pedestrian when he came in in relieve against Czechia. His performance against Slovakia, while not that bad, was also not exactly convincing. All in all, I thought he did ok, with many nice saves, but he also gave up several softies. I am curious to see if he gets back in net against Norway, or if Pertuch gets another game after his strong outing against Sweden.

 

[Maverick41]

Finally, my 3 Stars of the group stage:

3rd Star:

#14 F Kevin Bicker (Jungadler Mannheim) – 4 GP | 1 G | 1 A | 2 P | 2 PIM | - 1
Bicker seemed to be getting better with each game. Using his speed to generate offense by creating chances off the rush, beating defenders to loose pucks on dump and chase plays, etc. He did also quite well defensively on the backcheck and with his stick breaking up zone entries of the opposing teams. He always does well against stronger or equally strong teams, but seems to struggle sometimes when playing against weaker opponents, which always boded well for this tournament, while his showings in some of the tournaments earlier this season, were somewhat underwhelming.
His style and strengths are just suited so well for counter attacks.


2nd Star:

#21 F Julius Sumpf (Red Bull Hockey Juniors) – 4 GP | 1 G | 1 A | 2 P | 6 PIM | - 5
For me Sumpf was our best forward slightly ahead of Bicker, because he had a better showing against Canada, while their showings the rest of the way were basically at the same level. Sumpf created so much offense by himself with his skating and puckhandling, as well as by utilizing his linemates, especially Vinzens. He really tried to take charge when he was on the ice and move the puck in the right direction. He did not back down from anyone and did his best to play a complete 200-foot game. If his shot could develop a little further, he would become a real threat.


1st Star:

#6 D Norwin Panocha (Eisbären Juniors Berlin) – 4 GP | 1 G | 1 A | 2 P | 2 PIM | - 4
It was a toss-up for me between Sumpf and Panocha for the number 1 spot. I decided to go with Panocha because he played the more difficult position against strong opponents. Panocha really blew away my expectations, especially offensively. I always knew he was a good defender, but I have never really seen this kind of consistent and at times dominant offensive play from him. He did not just make some great passes in transition, or throwing pucks at the net for rebounds and deflections. He skated himself out of some dangerous situations and then carried the puck all the way into the offensive zone, with such ease and confidence, it just blew my mind. Yes, there were several instances where he turned the puck over in really bad spots resulting in high danger scoring chances for the other team. But I still kind of liked that he had the confidence or the downright audacity to go for these moves. He will learn to pick his spots better, but it was such a breath of fresh air. If this guy could develop a consistent point shot, look out. So impressed with his overall game. I loved him using his ability to anticipate plays to beat forwards to the puck in the corners, because his speed is lacking a bit.

 

[pgfan66]

Finally, my 3 Stars of the group stage:

3rd Star:

#14 F Kevin Bicker (Jungadler Mannheim) – 4 GP | 1 G | 1 A | 2 P | 2 PIM | - 1
Bicker seemed to be getting better with each game. Using his speed to generate offense by creating chances off the rush, beating defenders to loose pucks on dump and chase plays, etc. He did also quite well defensively on the backcheck and with his stick breaking up zone entries of the opposing teams. He always does well against stronger or equally strong teams, but seems to struggle sometimes when playing against weaker opponents, which always boded well for this tournament, while his showings in some of the tournaments earlier this season, were somewhat underwhelming.
His style and strengths are just suited so well for counter attacks.


2nd Star:

#21 F Julius Sumpf (Red Bull Hockey Juniors) – 4 GP | 1 G | 1 A | 2 P | 6 PIM | - 5
For me Sumpf was our best forward slightly ahead of Bicker, because he had a better showing against Canada, while their showings the rest of the way were basically at the same level. Sumpf created so much offense by himself with his skating and puckhandling, as well as by utilizing his linemates, especially Vinzens. He really tried to take charge when he was on the ice and move the puck in the right direction. He did not back down from anyone and did his best to play a complete 200-foot game. If his shot could develop a little further, he would become a real threat.


1st Star:

#6 D Norwin Panocha (Eisbären Juniors Berlin) – 4 GP | 1 G | 1 A | 2 P | 2 PIM | - 4
It was a toss-up for me between Sumpf and Panocha for the number 1 spot. I decided to go with Panocha because he played the more difficult position against strong opponents. Panocha really blew away my expectations, especially offensively. I always knew he was a good defender, but I have never really seen this kind of consistent and at times dominant offensive play from him. He did not just make some great passes in transition, or throwing pucks at the net for rebounds and deflections. He skated himself out of some dangerous situations and then carried the puck all the way into the offensive zone, with such ease and confidence, it just blew my mind. Yes, there were several instances where he turned the puck over in really bad spots resulting in high danger scoring chances for the other team. But I still kind of liked that he had the confidence or the downright audacity to go for these moves. He will learn to pick his spots better, but it was such a breath of fresh air. If this guy could develop a consistent point shot, look out. So impressed with his overall game. I loved him using his ability to anticipate plays to beat forwards to the puck in the corners, because his speed is lacking a bit.

Love the writeups, great work! And I mostly agree with your thoughts too.

Now that you’re on the Panocha hype train, you should go back and watch him at the Hlinka again. He played just like that, with a bunch of excellent carries out of pressure and through the neutral zone.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Love the writeups, great work! And I mostly agree with your thoughts too.

Now that you’re on the Panocha hype train, you should go back and watch him at the Hlinka again. He played just like that, with a bunch of excellent carries out of pressure and through the neutral zone.

He's for real.

Germany naturally has a long history of having a very difficult time producing defensemen of international class, but Panocha can be the next to break that mold.

Poise, understanding, IQ, strong lateral movement, strong im Zweikampf, solid first pass - he's looking like the most solid package on the blueline since <gulp> Seider?

 

[pgfan66]

He's for real.

Germany naturally has a long history of having a very difficult time producing defensemen of international class, but Panocha can be the next to break that mold.

Poise, understanding, IQ, strong lateral movement, strong im Zweikampf, solid first pass - he's looking like the most solid package on the blueline since <gulp> Seider?

To be fair, being the best since Seider isn’t THAT hard. IF Panocha was the best since Seider, it’d be like

Seider










Panocha
Szuber? Hüttl? Whoever?


Edit: Hüttl is older than Seider, so that didn’t make sense. Just take it as reference for the point I’m trying to make haha

 

[Maverick41]

To be fair, being the best since Seider isn’t THAT hard. IF Panocha was the best since Seider, it’d be like

Seider










Panocha
Szuber? Hüttl? Whoever?


Edit: Hüttl is older than Seider, so that didn’t make sense. Just take it as reference for the point I’m trying to make haha

Hüttl is older, but he developed slower, and pretty well one might add.
Playing an average of 25:45 minutes per game in the playoffs on a team that made the finals is pretty impressive for a young defenseman. So, I approve his inclusion here.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

To be fair, being the best since Seider isn’t THAT hard. IF Panocha was the best since Seider, it’d be like

Seider

I didn't write "the best since Seider".

I wrote "the most solid package on the blueline since <gulp> Seider?"

Panocha
Szuber? Hüttl? Whoever?


Edit: Hüttl is older than Seider, so that didn’t make sense. Just take it as reference for the point I’m trying to make haha

Like both Hüttl and Szuber. A lot.

Spent a good bit of time last summer telling the colleagues in North America that Szuber would be drafted. They'd never heard of him.

But yes, in what I wrote in the last post, I meant that in a first-time-eligible-for-the-draft kind of way.

Indeed, Seider wasn't too long ago, but leaving him aside, I failed to think of guys like Münzenberger and Gawanke.

I guess it hasn't been too long or so uncommon that a Dman has made an impression like Panocha.

This said, I'm gonna say that if any first-year eligible German is drafted this summer, it'll be Panocha.

***
Speaking of German Dmen who were drafted in their first year of eligibility, you guys surely heard the news about Ehrhoff, right?

 

[Maverick41]

I didn't write "the best since Seider".

I wrote "the most solid package on the blueline since <gulp> Seider?"



Like both Hüttl and Szuber. A lot.

Spent a good bit of time last summer telling the colleagues in North America that Szuber would be drafted. They'd never heard of him.

But yes, in what I wrote in the last post, I meant that in a first-time-eligible-for-the-draft kind of way.

Indeed, Seider wasn't too long ago, but leaving him aside, I failed to think of guys like Münzenberger and Gawanke.

I guess it hasn't been too long or so uncommon that a Dman has made an impression like Panocha.

This said, I'm gonna say that if any first-year eligible German is drafted this summer, it'll be Panocha.

***
Speaking of German Dmen who were drafted in their first year of eligibility, you guys surely heard the news about Ehrhoff, right?

Yep, the old man returns for another season in Krefeld. I hope he is oing for the right reasons. He certainly still looks like he can play. I think he should have little problem to get back into shape, if you can even call him out of shape right now.

 

[pgfan66]

Yep, the old man returns for another season in Krefeld. I hope he is oing for the right reasons. He certainly still looks like he can play. I think he should have little problem to get back into shape, if you can even call him out of shape right now.

He owns a gym and has been doing Hyrox. If you don’t know what that is, Google it. He won’t have a problem getting into shape.

 

[Eye of Ra]

What happend? Lost to Norway with 1-6

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

What happend? Lost to Norway with 1-6

And it wasn't pretty.

Germany controlled most of the play for the first 5 minutes or so.

Then Norway scored on what I believe was their first shot, a no-look on-ice sweep of the puck that went straight through Willerscheid's legs.

They scored like not even two minutes later on what felt like shot number 3 or 4 for Norway whatsoever.

It was downhill from there. An excellent pass led to a wonderful breakaway goal and then a PP tally sealed the deal with a 4-0 lead in the 2nd period.

Coach Dück put Pertuch in for the 3rd period. As I'm gathering, many - myself included - felt Pertuch should have started the game. Now he was in for the 3rd period and Norway scored on their first shot on him. They also scored off a late shot from the blueline with like 2 seconds left in the period.

Psychologically, I don't think I'd have placed Pertuch in there at 4-0. Let him start Game 2 nice and fresh, without any possible negative effects. That's just me.

The goal by Vinzenz was a nice shot. He had done some not so impressive things before that.

I believe Mayer got a game misconduct, so he should be out tomorrow. Also, Tropmann took an awkward mid-ice hit. He already came into the tourney with hand/wrist problem and I don't know if he took another shift. I don't want to know what things are going to look like if Tropmann and Mayer are out tomorrow.

In general, the team played in a rather unorganized manner with lots of poor decisions and passes that didn't arrive. They often passed when they should shoot or just didn't shoot when they had the chance. It looked overcomplicated. They looked shell-shocked when Norway went up 2-0 after like 8 minutes. Never recovered.

Dück and his staff have their work cut out for them. It was not a good look.

Ironically, Norway looked very confident, very organized, and their skill players delivered. Both teams were physical. Norway threw a lot of good checks.

 

[Maverick41]

And it wasn't pretty.

Germany controlled most of the play for the first 5 minutes or so.

Then Norway scored on what I believe was their first shot, a no-look on-ice sweep of the puck that went straight through Willerscheid's legs.

They scored like not even two minutes later on what felt like shot number 3 or 4 for Norway whatsoever.

It was downhill from there. An excellent pass led to a wonderful breakaway goal and then a PP tally sealed the deal with a 4-0 lead in the 2nd period.

Coach Dück put Pertuch in for the 3rd period. As I'm gathering, many - myself included - felt Pertuch should have started the game. Now he was in for the 3rd period and Norway scored on their first shot on him. They also scored off a late shot from the blueline with like 2 seconds left in the period.

Psychologically, I don't think I'd have placed Pertuch in there at 4-0. Let him start Game 2 nice and fresh, without any possible negative effects. That's just me.

The goal by Vinzenz was a nice shot. He had done some not so impressive things before that.

I believe Mayer got a game misconduct, so he should be out tomorrow. Also, Tropmann took an awkward mid-ice hit. He already came into the tourney with hand/wrist problem and I don't know if he took another shift. I don't want to know what things are going to look like if Tropmann and Mayer are out tomorrow.

In general, the team played in a rather unorganized manner with lots of poor decisions and passes that didn't arrive. They often passed when they should shoot or just didn't shoot when they had the chance. It looked overcomplicated. They looked shell-shocked when Norway went up 2-0 after like 8 minutes. Never recovered.

Dück and his staff have their work cut out for them. It was not a good look.

Ironically, Norway looked very confident, very organized, and their skill players delivered. Both teams were physical. Norway threw a lot of good checks.

I only managed to watch that atrocity for 2 periods and up to that point I can agree with pretty much everything you wrote.

There was absolutely no structure in their game. Everything they did so well against Sweden including the discipline was completely gone.
Even Panocha looked pedestrian. There were maybe 3 moments where one of our players did something good in the 40 minutes I watched, although right now I am only coming up with one. Vinzens had good backcheck at one point catching up with a Norwegian forward and stripping him off the puck from behind without taking a penalty and then moving the puck up the ice, where the team promptly turned it over again. But the fact that I remember that one moment so vividly, just goes to show how bad the game really was.

Another thing I noticed, not just in this game, but even more so this time, is how our players really like to take their time when they want to take shot, waiting or even handling the puck a few more times, to give the opposing players ample time to get into the shooting lane.
I have seen this even from our best players like Panocha or Sumpf but especially from Niehus, unless he tried a one timer.
At least Sumpf and Panocha sometimes realised they waited too long and then try to create a new shooting lane with their lateral skating.

Unless the goalie, whoever it will be, stands on their head in the next game(s) I don't expect they will avoid relegation, because they clearly don't seem to get it.

 

[KahunWOW]

I am sure if they take a few more penalties, they can beat Norway. Terrible...

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Relegated.

Pain…