Danish fans were great, but American players were even better. On Friday, the United States killed Denmark 5-0 to open the IIHF 2025 ice hockey world championship. The American goalkeeper Joey Daccord obtained a 26-speed bleaching during his debut in tournament at Jyske Bank Boxen.
“I always say that a bleaching is a team result, and the guys played great tonight,” said Daccord, who appeared in a career summit of 57 games for the Seattle Kraken this year. “I thought we had performed our match plan enough. For our first time playing a full game together, it was quite impressive.”
Young American Nhlers have intensified. Matty Beners scored twice, and Cutter Gauthier, Logan Cooley and Mason Lohrei added simple. The United States took control of the match in the second period, surpassing Denmark 21-8 en route to a last advantage of 48-26.
“The first period was quite decent,” said Danish Blueliner Phillip Bruggnoisse. “However, too many mistakes on our side. Once we have made a mistake, we have to endure and not make another one. I think it really punished us in the second. If we are really worth and play intelligent on these pieces, I think we have a good blow against any team.”
During this tournament, the United States aspires to end a drought of gold medals which dates back to 1933. The Americans have never played in a final of the world ice hockey championship since the IIHF moved to the eliminatory system in 1992. The most recent American medal was bronze (2021). Last year, the Americans arrived fifth after losing 1-0 against the Cheche in the quarter-finals.
The crowd of capacity forming a red and white wall in Jyske Bank Boxen did its best to be the proverbial “Seven Man”. Whether with singing fervor “Denmark!” Or singing the melody of “The Entertainer” of the American songwriter Scott Joplin, they inspired the troops of coach Mikael Gath to go out hard.
During the first period, the shots were even 9-9. The Danes, captain of Jesper Jensen Aabo, played a strong two -way hockey, almost succeeding in keeping their upper opponents at a distance.
When Frank Nazar obtained a partial escape at the end of the first, the Danish goalkeeper Frederik Dichow was equal to the challenge. However, he could not stop Gauthier, who marked high on the side of the stick on his solo yellowed installed by Kesselring at 5:52 p.m. Gauthier, who came out of a recruited season of the NHL of 20 goals with the Anaheim Ducks, equaled Rocco Grimaldi for the head of the United States with seven goals during the 2023 tournament in Finland.
The dominant American possession on a second period of second period at the start of the second period led to Cooley, below the goal line, by crushing the washer in front of a dichow blurred at 3:59.
“I think we started to be a little simpler,” said Cooley. “Get a little more strokes, more guys on the net, and obviously that’s how we got some goals. This is something we have to build.”
Just before the brand halfway, Beners calmed the building by doing it 3-0. The Kraken star won a draw at the end of the Danish and went on the net, where Andrew Peeke’s shot on the right side deflected in his leg.
“He’s a great player,” said Gauthier about Beners. “I had the chance to skate a little with him in summer and know him. He is a superb teammate, loves to compete. We have gotten very close last week. It is a fun moment there to play with him.”
It was increasingly clear that the Danes, who due to various circumstances have no Nhlers to open this tournament, could not maintain their first period pace. In the third, they failed to capitalize despite some gusts around the dacord net, and the frustrations surfaced in small melee and push.
Defender Mason Lohrei extended the United States, an advance at 4-0 at 9:31 with a point of view along the ice that slipped through Dichow. Beners completed the score with 3:44 to play.
It was the fourth time that the United States has eliminated Denmark in the last six meetings of the World Ice Hockey Championship.
“We have so many guys in advance who can absolutely fly,” said defender Alex Vlasic. “And we have, great mobile defenders on the defensive front. So I think we have a good team composition.”
The last world ice hockey championship match featuring Denmark took place here on May 15, 2018. The Danes fell 1-0 in Latvia, ending their hopes to break the quarter-finals in their inaugural race as host nation. This year, Herning Co-Héberge Les Mondes Male with Stockholm, Sweden.
The Danes, who finished 13th last year, dream of their third quarter -final in the history of the tournament. They made the last eight in 2010 and 2016. In the two tournaments, they started with a victory, including a 4-1 upheaval against Finland in 2010 and a 3-0 marking in neighboring Norway in 2016.
The pre-match ceremonies have seen the vice-president of the IIHF, Henrik Bach Nielsen, from Herning, and the member of the Council of Ihf Marta Zawadzka welcoming fans at the games here, as well as a show of music and captivating light.
“I hope we can have a big world championship,” said Bruggusser. “It’s amazing to play in front of our own fans.”
Denmark only beat the United States twice at the world ice hockey championships in 10 attempts. The first victory was a superb 5-2 upheaval in 2003 to launch the return of Denmark to the higher division to Tampere, Finland, after an absence of 54 years. Goalkeeper Peter Hirsch shone with 53 stops. The Danes also preceded the United States 2-1 in 2010 in Cologne, Germany, on the winner of Stefan Lassen in overtime.
Then Denmark faces the silver medalist in 2024 Swiss on Saturday evening, while the United States faces Hungary at the start of the match on Sunday.
