Team Germany head coach Jeff MacLeod discusses his team's performance at the IIHF World Championships in Utica, and the impact of NCAA and PWHL players on his roster. Denmark netminder Emma-Sofie Nordstrom watches the puck on a power play with German forward Nicola Eisenschmid and Denmark defender Amalie Andersen watching out front on April 2, 2024 at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA1NTA4NTEyODA0MTg1NjM4/denmark-vs-germany.jpg] Denmark netminder Emma-Sofie Nordstrom watches the puck on a power play with German forward Nicola Eisenschmid and Denmark defender Amalie Andersen watching out front on April 2, 2024 at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York. Germany opened their 2024 IIHF World Championship run picking up crucial points against Denmark with a 5-1 win on Day Two of the tournament. Lilli Welcke broke the deadlock with only 14 seconds remaining in the opening frame. Her twin sister Luisa Welcke carried the puck into the zone before attempting to drag the puck around the Danish defender, but she lost the puck which ended up directly on her sisters stick for the tap in goal. In the second, Germany continued their hold on the play outshooting Denmark 15-1 in the frame. Laura Kluge extended Germany's lead on the powerplay firing home a slapshot from the left circle that beat Denmark's Emma-Sofie Nordstrom. The third period was again all Germany with Ronja Hark scoring along the ice on a screened point shot, followed by Julie Schiefer beating Nordstrom blocker side off the rush later in the frame to break the game open and make it 4-0. Denmark would get one back on the powerplay with captain Nicoline Jensen beating a screened Sandra Abstreiter. But with time running out, Emily Nix slid the puck into Denmark's net after they pulled Nordstrom for the extra attacker to finish the 5-1 win. Nordstrom was strong for Denmark stopping 39 shots. CHINA SHOCKS JAPAN Earlier in the day, China shocked Japan beating the team who came from Group A last season 3-2 in a shootout. PWHL Ottawa forward Akane Shiga opened the scoring for Japan who looked like they would runaway with the game outshooting China 22-4 in the first period, but China held on. Grace Zhan, who played high school hockey in Minnesota this year for Hill-Murray was spectacular in net for China stopping 50 shots in the game. The Darmouth committed netminder was the difference in the game. After Shiga's opening goal Jinglei Yang responded for China, before Makato Ito scored again for Japan, with Shiga picking up an assist for her second point of the game. Yingying Guan tied the game four minutes later sending it to overtime and a shootout, which China eventually won.
