Ice hockey: Well inspired, Switzerland made short work of Denmark

The selection of Patrick Fischer offered an offensive festival (6-0) against Denmark of Heinz Ehlers, yet renowned for its defensive solidity. Switzerland thus easily won its second match at the World Championship after its success on Saturday against Italy (5-2). Denis Malgin (four points), Janis Moser (three points) and Leonardo Genoni (shuntout) particularly stood out. The Swiss power play also gave satisfaction (three goals in four sequences). On Tuesday, the Swiss selection will face Kazakhstan (7:20 p.m.).

Last February at the Beijing Olympics, Danish coach Heinz Ehlers achieved the most resounding success of his career: pinning Switzerland in a major tournament (5-3). A few months earlier, in 2021 during the World Championship in Latvia, the former coach of Lausanne HC (from 2013 to 2016) had already stood up to the group of Patrick Fischer by bowing in extremis on the score of 1-0 .

But Sunday in Helsinki, the Danish « concrete » was not strong enough to resist the Swiss offensives. The difference between failure in Beijing and easy success in Helsinki? A balance of power largely in favor of the Swiss due to the presence of seven NHL reinforcements against a single Danish side (Nikolaj Ehlers). The selection of Patrick Fischer could also have counted an eighth if Kevin Fiala (Minnesota Wild) had not, for contractual reasons, declined the invitation to join the selection in Finland.

Sunday, the Swiss tenors of NHL made the difference. In numerical superiority (22^e, 0-2), Timo Meier demonstrated why the quality of his wrist shot earns him $6 million a season with the San Jose Sharks. Pius Suter (Detroit Red Wings) struck twice in the middle third (26^e0-3 and 38^e, 0-5). Janis Moser, the rear of the Arizona Coyotes, offered a goal that even Roman Josi would not have denied (34^e0-4).

In the Danish camp, the only reinforcement of NHL, Nikolaj Ehlers, really did not have a great evening. On Sunday, the Swiss team expected to suffer to overcome their first obstacle of the tournament. But she won even more easily than against Italy on Saturday (5-2) at the opening of the tournament. Easy, it will be again on Tuesday against the weakest team of the tournament, Kazakhstan.