MILAN, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Latvia picked up their first win of the men's Olympic ice hockey tournament against Germany on Saturday, and forward Zemgus Girgensons believes this is the best team they have had and they will only get better.
After opening Group C with a 5-1 defeat to the United States, Latvia came from behind twice to clinch a dramatic 4-3 victory over Germany who scored a late goal after pulling their goalie.
"We're still building, we're not at our best yet, but I mean, we're getting there," Girgensons said.
"We have, on paper, probably the best team we've had, it's the most NHL guys we've had and we're just going to keep getting better with every game."
Girgensons, like all NHL players, is back at the Games for the first time since 2014. Latvia's win over Germany in Milan is their fourth victory in seven Olympic appearances, with the 32-year-old now part of two of those successes.
Girgensons has played in the NHL for over a decade, spending 10 seasons with Buffalo Sabres and now with Tampa Bay Lightning, and enjoyed the more intimate setting of the smaller Milano Rho arena against Germany, where Latvian fans made their presence felt.
"I like it, smaller building is kind of cool," he said.
"It feels like a little bit back in juniors, where the crowd is right on top of you. It's loud, you can see the fans."
Latvia play Denmark in their final group game on Sunday at Santagiulia arena.
Latvia, Germany and the U.S. are all on three points ahead of the Americans' game later on Saturday with Denmark who are on zero points. The top team in each group along with the best runner-up advance to the quarter-finals, with the other eight sides going into the playoffs to reach the last eight.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Alison Williams)
