United States defeats Germany in Zurich after shootout
The United States defeated Germany 4:3 after a shootout in a Group A match at the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championship, played on 20 May at the Swiss Life Arena in Zurich. According to the official report of the International Ice Hockey Federation, the duel had all the elements of a tense group-stage match: an early German goal, an American comeback, another German response, an equalizer late in regulation time and a decision only in the penalty-shot shootout. The USA thus claimed an important victory in the fight for the quarter-finals, but not a full three-point result, because a win after a shootout brings two points, while Germany, despite the defeat, won one point.
The match ended 3:3 after 60 minutes and overtime, and the winning goal in the shootout was scored by Ryan Leonard. According to the IIHF, Leonard was the last American shooter in the fifth round and scored for the USA’s second celebration in four appearances in Group A. Germany was very close to its first win of the tournament for much of the evening, but failed to hold the lead it had in the second period. For the American team, Isaac Howard, Max Sasson and Tommy Novak scored in regulation time, while Germany’s goalscorers were Moritz Seider, Frederik Tiffels and Marc Michaelis.
Germany opened better, USA responded with pressure
Germany took the lead already in the first minute. Moritz Seider, the Detroit Red Wings defenseman and captain of the German national team, sent a shot from the blue line through traffic in front of the goal, and the puck ended up behind American goaltender Devin Cooley. Such a start was important for a team that had struggled with finishing and entering matches in its previous appearances. According to the IIHF report, before the meeting with the USA at this championship, Germany had scored only two goals, both in the third periods of defeats against Finland and Switzerland.
The American national team, the defending world champion, gradually took the initiative and, through pressure in the German defensive third, began creating more dangerous situations. The equalizer came in the 15th minute of the first period, after a German defensive error while moving the puck out. Isaac Howard used the lost puck in front of Philipp Grubauer’s goal and, with a precise finish, returned the match to the beginning. That goal was important because it stopped Germany’s momentum and confirmed that the USA, despite an unconvincing start to the tournament, had enough individual quality for a quick reaction.
Turnarounds in the second period set the rhythm of the match
The second period brought the biggest changes in the score and showed most clearly how open the match was. The USA took the lead for the first time in the 26th minute, when Max Sasson used a rebound after Ryan Ufko’s shot and beat Grubauer from close range. Germany soon thought it had equalized through Kai Wissmann, but the goal was disallowed after a coach’s challenge because, according to the official report, offside had been established at the start of the play. Instead of 2:2, the score remained 2:1 for the USA, but that moment did not stop the German response.
Frederik Tiffels made amends for his earlier mistake on the American equalizer and scored for 2:2. In a battle for the puck in the slot, he created space against Sam Lafferty and sent the puck past Cooley. A few minutes later, Germany took the lead again. Alexander Ehl found Marc Michaelis on the other side of the attack, and Michaelis used the space and beat the American goaltender with a shot to the glove side. In its report, the IIHF states that Germany raised the tempo late in the middle period and forced Cooley into important saves, including attempts by Parker Tuomie and Lukas Reichel.
Novak forced overtime, Leonard decided the shootout
The USA spent much of the third period searching for a way to equalize. Germany dropped into a tighter block and tried to control the dangerous American attacks, but the pressure grew as the match approached its closing stages. The goal for 3:3 came in the 55th minute, after a scramble in front of the German goal. Philipp Grubauer believed he had covered the puck, but Declan Carlile managed to knock it toward Tommy Novak, who scored into the open part of the net. That moment changed the direction of the match because the USA avoided defeat in regulation time and secured at least one point.
Overtime did not bring a goal, although the IIHF described the play as open, with attacks on both sides. The decision therefore came in the shootout. Germany had its chances there as well, and Joshua Samanski was the only German shooter to beat Cooley. The American goaltender later, according to the IIHF, especially highlighted Leonard’s decisive goal and described the finish as emotional and demanding. Leonard scored in the fifth round, and after a major battle the USA confirmed a 4:3 victory.
Tkachuk made his World Championship debut
Particular attention was drawn by the appearance of Matthew Tkachuk, who made his senior World Championship debut for the USA against Germany. The IIHF states that the Florida Panthers forward played on a line with Tommy Novak and Ryan Leonard and that against Germany he had the highest ice time among American forwards, 23 minutes and 15 seconds. In a statement after the meeting, Tkachuk said that it took him some time to regain his rhythm, but that as the match went on he felt better and better.
His arrival is important for the American national team because the USA is defending the world title in Zurich. According to USA Hockey data, the American team at the tournament in Switzerland is trying to win two consecutive world championship titles for the first time. Ahead of the continuation of the competition, Tkachuk is additionally interesting because of the wider context: he is a player with Olympic gold from 2026, two Stanley Cups with Florida and a world under-18 championship title from 2015. In a separate article after the match, the IIHF also highlighted the possibility that Tkachuk, in the event of American gold in Zurich, could become the first American in the Triple Gold Club.
The goaltenders claimed a large part of the evening
The USA-Germany duel was also a meeting of goaltenders from the NHL’s Pacific Division. In the American goal was Devin Cooley, a member of the Calgary Flames, while Germany’s goal was defended by Philipp Grubauer of the Seattle Kraken. According to the IIHF, the USA had 40 shots on goal, and Germany 34. That statistic shows that the Americans did have more finishes, but not complete control of the match. Germany, through much of the meeting, managed to threaten directly and create sufficiently good chances to stay in the game until the final shot.
After the meeting, Cooley said that the opening periods were not easy for him because he did not have a steady rhythm of saves, and the goals conceded made the match even more difficult. Still, he described the third period, overtime and the shootout as the part of the match he enjoyed the most. Grubauer, on the other hand, kept Germany in a scoring lead for a long time and, with saves in the third period, preserved the possibility of a major surprise. His evening nevertheless ended in defeat, because American quality in the shootout ultimately proved decisive.
What the victory means for Group A
The match was of great importance for the Group A standings. According to the table published on the official IIHF website after the matches on 20 May, Switzerland led the group with four wins and 12 points, Finland had nine points from three matches, Austria nine points from four meetings, and after the victory over Germany the USA was fourth with five points from four matches. Germany remained seventh with one point and a goal difference of 5:15, which shows how important the shootout against the USA was for it, at least in ending a complete points drought.
The group competition system leaves little room for mistakes because the four best national teams from each group fight for the quarter-finals. With the win after a shootout, the USA kept the position that leads to the knockout stage, but still does not have a comfortable points cushion. Germany, which in previous years had been able to achieve major results at world championships, now found itself fighting to get out of the lower part of the table. In its report, the IIHF recalls that Germany defeated the USA 4:3 after overtime in the semifinal of the 2023 World Championship and then won silver, which further emphasizes how much the current picture of the group differs from that major result.
The tournament in Zurich and Fribourg enters the key part of the groups
The 2026 World Championship is being played from 15 to 31 May in Switzerland, in Zurich and Fribourg. According to official IIHF information, Group A is being played at the Swiss Life Arena in Zurich, and Group B at the BCF Arena in Fribourg. In the same group as the USA and Germany are Switzerland, Finland, Austria, Latvia, Hungary and Great Britain. The schedule therefore brings several direct matches that can significantly change the situation in the middle and lower part of the table.
For the USA, upcoming meetings are ones in which confirmation of a place among the best eight will be expected, but the impression after the match with Germany shows that the defending champion is still looking for stability. The American team has attacking potential and an increasingly strong roster, but against Germany it had to chase a deficit twice and secured victory only in the shootout. Germany, meanwhile, will try to turn the point won in defeat into psychological support for the continuation of the tournament. According to the available IIHF schedule, Germany’s next opponent is Hungary on 22 May in Zurich, while the USA plays against Latvia on 23 May.
The Americans took the points, the Germans showed resistance
Although the 4:3 result after a shootout brings victory to the USA, the match also left a clear message that Germany was not far from a surprise. Harold Kreis’s team, according to the available official tournament data, is still in a difficult position in the standings, but against the defending champion it showed more attacking life than in earlier matches. Seider’s early goal, Tiffels’s response after the mistake and Michaelis’s finish of a quick attack gave Germany a real chance to win.
The USA, on the other hand, showed what is expected of the current champion: the ability to come back even when the match is not going according to plan. Howard restored balance after a poor start, Sasson brought the turnaround, Novak forced overtime, and Leonard took the decisive shot in the shootout. In the context of Group A, these are points that could be crucial for entering the quarter-finals, but also a reminder that the American national team will have to raise its level of play already in the closing stages of the group phase if it is to defend the title.
Sources:
- International Ice Hockey Federation, IIHF – report from the USA – Germany 4:3 match after a shootout and statements by participants (link)
- International Ice Hockey Federation, IIHF – official schedule, results and standings of the 2026 World Championship (link)
- USA Hockey – official information on the appearance of the United States national team at the 2026 World Championship (link)
- International Ice Hockey Federation, IIHF – article about Matthew Tkachuk’s debut at the 2026 World Championship (link)