{"id":10894,"date":"2026-02-12T17:26:25","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T17:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/10894\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T17:26:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T17:26:25","slug":"germany-hockey-opens-their-2026-olympics-against-denmark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/10894\/","title":{"rendered":"Germany Hockey Opens their 2026 Olympics Against Denmark"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to another edition of Olympic hockey predictions<\/a> here at Last Word On Hockey, where we will be covering the men\u2019s ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics each day throughout the preliminary round and beyond. As the best players in the world return to the Olympic stage, every early matchup carries weight in a short and unforgiving format. Today\u2019s focus shifts to Group C, where Germany opens its tournament against Denmark in a game that will likely determine second place positioning and quarterfinal seeding. Be sure to check back daily for continued Olympic men\u2019s hockey coverage, analysis, and predictions throughout the Games.<\/p>\n

Olympic Hockey Predictions featuring Denmark vs Germany<\/p>\n

Date & Time: Thursday, February 12, 3:10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time<\/p>\n

Group: Group C<\/p>\n

How to Watch \u2013 US TV: Peacock | Canada TV: CBC Gem, TSN<\/p>\n

Venue: Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy<\/p>\n

Setting the Stage<\/p>\n

Germany<\/a> enters this tournament with what many consider the most talented roster in its history. Led by Leon Draisaitl<\/a>, this group blends high-end NHL scoring talent with a defensive core capable of playing structured, low-event hockey. Denmark, meanwhile, continues to grow its international identity and brings significant Olympic experience from Beijing 2022. In a group that also includes the United States and Latvia, this game looms large for positioning. A regulation win would give Germany a strong foothold toward a potential bye scenario, while Denmark realistically needs this matchup<\/a> if it hopes to avoid a difficult qualification path.<\/p>\n

Denmark Storyline<\/p>\n

Denmark<\/a>\u2018s identity revolves around speed and continuity. Nikolaj Ehlers<\/a> is the offensive engine and remains Denmark\u2019s most dangerous transition threat. Lars Eller<\/a> brings veteran leadership down the middle, while Oliver Bjorkstrand<\/a> supplies secondary scoring punch.<\/p>\n

The key question lies in goal. Frederik Andersen<\/a> has the resume, but recent metrics indicate vulnerability under sustained pressure. Denmark will need a composed, structured defensive effort to prevent Germany from establishing a cycle game. If the Danes can keep this tight into the third period, pressure shifts to Germany. However, if they fall behind early, their defensive depth may struggle to contain multiple German scoring lines.<\/p>\n

Carolina goal!Scored by Nikolaj Ehlers with 06:57 remaining in the 3rd period.Assisted by Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake.Carolina: 7Florida: 1#FLAvsCAR #RaiseUp #TimeToHunt<\/p>\n

\u2014 NHL Goals (@nhlgoals.bsky.social)<\/a> 2026-01-17T02:42:18.961214Z<\/a><\/p>\n

Germany Storyline<\/p>\n

Germany\u2019s offensive ceiling begins with Leon Draisaitl, who captains the side and remains one of the most dominant forwards in the world. He is supported by Tim St\u00fctzle<\/a> and JJ Peterka<\/a>, giving Germany legitimate scoring threats beyond its top line. On defence, Moritz Seider<\/a> anchors the blue line with heavy minutes and physical presence, allowing Germany to play assertively through the neutral zone.<\/p>\n

In goal, Philipp Grubauer<\/a> provides stability. His underlying metrics this season suggest Germany holds an advantage in net, particularly compared to Denmark\u2019s tandem. Germany\u2019s overall structure has improved dramatically over the past decade, and this is no longer a team reliant on a single superstar. Depth scoring and disciplined play are now part of the identity.<\/p>\n

Power play goal for Edmonton!Scored by Leon Draisaitl with 01:34 remaining in the 2nd period.Assisted by Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid.Calgary: 3Edmonton: 2#EDMvsCGY #Flames #LetsGoOilers<\/p>\n

\u2014 NHL Goals (@nhlgoals.bsky.social)<\/a> 2026-02-05T04:48:05.289815Z<\/a><\/p>\n

Prediction Inputs<\/p>\n

Both HockeyStats<\/a> and The Athletic<\/a> project Germany as a moderate favourite, with implied win probabilities near 60 percent. Betting markets reflect similar expectations, pricing Germany in the -270 range on the moneyline. Projected score ranges cluster around a one-goal to two-goal German advantage.<\/p>\n

Germany holds measurable edges in high-end talent, defensive structure, and goaltending stability. Denmark\u2019s path to an upset likely requires an elite goaltending performance and efficient finishing on limited chances. Over a full 60-minute sample, Germany\u2019s depth advantage should gradually assert itself.<\/p>\n

Olympic Hockey Prediction<\/p>\n

This projects as a competitive opening period before Germany\u2019s skill begins to separate the teams. Denmark has enough structure to remain organized early, but sustaining that level against Draisaitl and St\u00fctzle for a full game is a difficult assignment.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Germany wins 4\u20132<\/p>\n

Best Bets<\/p>\n

Germany -1.5 puck line (-105) offers stronger value than the heavily priced money line. If Germany establishes a lead, Denmark will be forced to open up, creating separation opportunities. Over 5.5 total goals (+114) is worth consideration. Germany\u2019s offensive firepower and Denmark\u2019s need to chase could push this above the number late. Leon Draisaitl anytime goal (+105) is always live in tournament play. His power-play role and heavy usage make him the most reliable finishing option on the ice.<\/p>\n

Lineup disclaimer: Projected line combinations and starting goaltenders are based on available information at the time of writing. Please verify official lineups prior to placing any wagers.<\/p>\n

Please play responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.<\/p>\n

Main Photo: Amber Searls-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Welcome back to another edition of Olympic hockey predictions here at Last Word On Hockey, where we will…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10895,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[5473,27,26,8244,3380,8591],"class_list":{"0":"post-10894","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-denmark","8":"tag-2026-winter-olympics","9":"tag-danmark","10":"tag-denmark","11":"tag-leon-draisaitl","12":"tag-nikolaj-ehlers","13":"tag-team-germany"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10894"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10894\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}