Following a tough loss to Sweden, the Danish national ice hockey team are still well-placed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Ice Hockey World Championships – should they defeat Switzerland on Tuesday.
A loss to Kazakhstan and an overtime defeat to Norway, which Denmark comfortably saw off 3-0 in their first game, have seen the normally robust Swiss falter.
“The Swiss match is more important than the meeting with Sweden,” said Danish coach Jan Karlsson. “We will have a brief workout on Monday, and then it’s on to Tuesday. The teams are nearly equal in strength on this level, so every match is hard work.”
A tough road ahead
Although the game against Sweden ended in a 2-5 defeat for Denmark, the Danes still played well, winning the first session 1-0 before a calamitous second period saw them concede four fast goals, three of which were on powerplays.
“It was positive, and we also have a good team,” said Danish centre Morten Madsen. “We can give Switzerland a tough fight.”
The omens favour Switzerland though. In their seven matches against Denmark at the Worlds, they are yet to lose.
