Tappara can already secure a place in the finals on Monday in their home arena. If this happens, the people of Tampere will once again enjoy a significant rest advantage in the finals.
The semi-finals of the SM league continue after the break on Monday, when Tappara and HIFK meet from 17:00. Puhe’s ice hockey round starts at 4:45 p.m.
Tampere’s Tappara already has a chance to secure a place in the finals in the hockey SM league on Monday, when it meets HIFK on its home field.
Having won the previous two matches with 5–2 goals, Tappara leads the series with 3–1 wins. Tampere’s chances of reaching the final are increased by HIFK’s sad balance: the team has not won a single match in Tampere this season.
– Yes, it looks a bit like Tappara is marching to the final, Urheilu’s expert Jesse Saarinen stated in the Ice Hockey round.
The first two matches of the series in Helsinki were more even, but there was no doubt about the winner in Tampere. Saarinen believes that Tappara no longer wants the same feeling from playing as in the matches in Helsinki.
– They started the series badly and gave HIFK a chance. Now they have come to grips with their own playing, so they want to stick to it. Overpowering goals and a good feeling, says Saarinen.
– They have such an experienced team. The work they’ve put in to get that level back, I don’t think they want to let go at any point in this series.
Sports expert Ismo Lehkonen stated after Saturday’s match that HIFK can’t stand playing according to the system. He also marveled at the workload of the Helsinki team in the match.
From Tappara’s point of view, the situation looks strong overall. If the team wins on Monday, it will be allowed to rest for no less than a week and a half before the finals starting on April 19.
Ilves and Pelicans will fight the series until at least Thursday. A possible seventh match would be on Monday.
– If Tappara can win, they will use it to charge their batteries.
– It’s also a deserved thing for Tappara and they want to take advantage of it. They don’t want to give up the level of their game, but they don’t want to waste these free days either. Because they know how valuable they are.
Last year, Tappara enjoyed a rest advantage in the finals, when it beat Luko 4–1 and KooKoo 4–1 in the playoffs. TPS, which won 1–4 in the finals, had played a series of seven games against HIFK and six games against Ilves.
This spring, Tappara has enjoyed a similar advantage as the regular season winner. It started its quarterfinal series with KooKoo, who played five games in seven days. KooKoo had played the night before in Oulu and played the very next day in Tampere.
The series was decided with clear victories 4–0. If Tappara continues to the finals, either Ilves, who have played 12–13 matches, or Pelicans, who have played 13–14 matches, will face them.
– They have earned this, first of all, by winning the regular season and getting home advantage. They want those days off to be at their best in the finals, which is what they’ve been aiming for all season.
For the end of spring, Tappara is also strong in terms of its lineup. In the stands, among others, there are those who have broken the 30-point mark in three seasons Patrik Virta and experienced Kristian Kuusela and Geoff Platt.
The semi-finals of the SM league continue after the break on Monday, when Tappara and HIFK meet from 17:00. The series between Ilves and Pelicans continues on Tuesday in Tampere from 18:30. Puhe’s Jääkiekkierros follows, the broadcast starts 15 minutes before the match.