The highly anticipated first game of the 2026 Olympic tournament for both Team Germany and Team Denmark has arrived, and many top NHL players got to take the ice in their first Olympic competition. Germany got off to a hot start and managed to hold their lead throughout the match.
Denmark played a strong match and after securing their place in the qualifying tournamentthey show that they have many of the right pieces to be competitive in the tournament.
Germany’s game was led by their superstars, and if they want to make a run in this tournament, they will have to play like it. Here are some of the key takeaways from Germany’s 3-1 win over Team Denmark.
The German Draisaitl is making a good start
Just 23 seconds into his Olympic career, Leon Draisaitl got Team Germany on the board. Draisaitl is already the undisputed greatest German-born hockey player of all time, and it wasn’t surprising to see him come out of the gate hot.
Related: Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament
Through 845 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers, Draisaitl has amassed 1,036 points. He represented Germany at the World Junior Championships in 2013 and 2014, scoring 12 points in as many games.
Draisaitl has shown himself to be an emotional player at times, and with victory on the line, Team Germany can be confident he will be at his best. Throughout the match, the German team was able to build on the momentum of Draisaitl’s opening goal. He continued to play a very strong game, making physical contact with the Danish players, executing hard forechecks and generating many attacks.
Draisaitl had a great chance for a second goal on a breakaway late in the third period, but was put aside by Frederik Andersen.
Draisaitl has been so close to victory so many times he is hungryand it shows.
Danish late push is not strong enough
Team Denmark was under heavy pressure late in the match, but failed to capitalize on it. They managed to land several shots in the final minutes, but Phillip Grubauer stood strong in the net.
The Danes managed 38 shots and had great pressure throughout the match, but a large number of their shots came from the perimeter and would be classified as low-danger shots. They did a good job recovering the puck and fighting along the boards all game, and their ability to do that was on full display in the final three minutes.
Every time the puck was loose, three players would devour the ice, leaving no room for the German defensemen to act. It led to some good chances and more play with a sense of urgency, which is what will get them games, but it wasn’t enough to get past Germany.
Stutzle scores two goals and thrives in Olympic debut
Along with Draisaitl, many had their eyes on Tim Stutzle also coming into this game. There are certainly others, but these are the two best attackers that everyone was looking forward to. Just over four minutes into the second period, Stutzle managed to give the Germans a 2-1 lead, and just over six minutes later he was able to give them some assurance by scoring another goal.
Late in the second period, Stutzle took a shot off hand and appeared to be in significant discomfort. He did return for the third period and in just under 17 minutes of ice time, Stutzle looked like one of the team’s bright spots.
Like Draisaitl, Stutzle played two years in the World Juniors, scoring 15 points in 10 total games. Stutzle has had a fantastic season with the Ottawa Senators this season and he is looking to build on that on the biggest stage of the Olympics.
Team Germany returns to action on February 14 against Team Latvia, while Team Denmark plays against Team USA the same day.
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