THE GERMANS got lucky last year in that they were in the same group as an underpowered Austrian squad. That meant Germany needed just one win to qualify for the quarterfinal, and they got it – only to suffer an 11-1 beatdown at the hands of Team USA as their reward.
Nine members of last year’s team are eligible to return, and once again, Germany will likely count on one round-robin game as its most important. This time, it will be versus Latvia, with the loser heading to the relegation round. The Latvians will be more of a challenge than the Austrians were.
But Germany does have some firepower up front, led by a pair of NHL draft picks who play with speed and skill: second-rounder Julian Lutz (ARI) and Kevin Bicker…
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The Hockey News (Digital) - 1 Issue, World Juniors Special 2024