US beats Germany 4-3 on Ryan Leonard’s penalty shot at hockey worlds

ZURICH — Former Boston College star Ryan Leonard scored the decisive penalty shot for the United States in a 4-3 shootout win over Germany at the hockey world championship on Wednesday.

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Tommy Novak tied it at 3-3 with 5:47 left in regulation after Germany goaltender Philipp Grubauer was unable to hold onto the puck, with Merrimack alum Declan Carlisle kicking it over to Novak for the assist.

The defending champion Americans recovered from a 6-2 loss to Finland on Monday for their second win from four games and have five points in Group A in Zurich.

The Germans earned their first point.

Isaac Howard and Max Sasson also scored for Team USA and goaltender Devin Cooley allowed one goal in the shootout.

Germany took an early lead when captain Moritz Seider scored one minute into the game. Howard tied it at 1-1 before the end of the first with an assist from Bruins forward Alex Steeves. Sasson’s goal put the Americans ahead early in the second period. Former UMass defenseman Ryan Ufko registered an assist on Sasson’s goal.

Still in the second, the Germans rallied with Frederik Tiffels’ tying goal and Marc Michaelis’ go-ahead tally less than three minutes later.

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Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk, who arrived at Zurich on Tuesday, played his first career game at the worlds. The two-time Stanley Cup winner and Olympic champion failed to convert his penalty shot, but former Harvard star Matt Coronato buried his to set up Leonard’s heroics.

The United States plays Latvia on Saturday.

Switzerland routed Austria 9-0 to keep a perfect record.

Theo Rochette, Nico Hischier and Damien Riat each scored two goals as the Swiss won their fourth straight game to lead Group A in Zurich with 12 points.

Sven Andrighetto had three assists and Leonardo Genoni stopped 20 shots.

After finishing runner-up the previous two years, host Switzerland hopes for more in front of the home supporters.

Austria remains on nine points after its first loss.

In Group B in Fribourg, Czechia rallied late to edge winless Italy 3-1.

Nicholas Saracino put Italy in front 1-0 in the second period — for only the second goal by Italy at the worlds.

Early in the third, Marek Alscher tied it at 1-1 and Jakub Flek scored the eventual winner with 8:55 left. Dominik Kubalík added an empty-netter.

The Czechs, atop their group with 10 points, outshot Italy 58-15.

In another game in Fribourg, Raymond Lucas and Jacob de la Rose each scored two goals in Sweden’s 6-0 win over Slovenia. Robert Hagg and Mattias Ekholm also scored.

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