Tampere Ilves rose from the bridge to win in the semi-final of the hockey SM league against Lahti Pelicans. Ilves was already at a 0–2 loss, but rose to a 3–2 victory by Les Lancaster under.
Lancaster started with a hit against Ilves Kiri and later hit the winning goal in the final set with a superior score in 55:15. Kiri and the win were extremely important for Ilves, as the Pelicans would have run away with a win to take a 3–1 lead in the series. Now the series continues on Tuesday in Tampere with a 2-2 situation.
Ilves head coach Antti Pennanen admitted that after a good start, Pelicans’ first goal froze the people of Tampere.
– That 1–2 goal did revive the game. After that, in my opinion, there was no ambiguity about who will take this game, Pennanen summed up C More.
In the match, the teams offered the most entertaining game of the league spring. The game flowed from end to end and both were offered top positions and superior attacks.
– It’s nice to watch when situations change a lot. Teams have different momemtums. We just went head to head. You rarely see this kind of hockey in the playoffs of the SM league, Urheilu’s expert Jesse Saarinen in the middle of a game in the Ice Hockey round.
The Pelicans got there anyway
Ilves started the match fast and hard, as usual, from the beginning from the top. The people of Tampere broke the Pelicans’ five, were able to take advantage of the blue line and got the mill ready.
After a fast start, Ilves retreated a bit and Pelicans were able to puck past the Ilves defense with their passes. In a time of 12:02, the people of Lahti got an important lead goal, when Toni Utusen the wrist pressed into the upper corner.
– Iikka Kangasniemi started attacking with one against four and was able to swim a great spot Joni Ikonen. He didn’t succeed, but Utunen has been supporting the attacks all along and now he was able to shoot upstairs, Saarinen summed up.
The lynx is full
After the goal, the Pelicans were even close to a second hit. The Tampere team’s game was sticky, and they couldn’t build their puck game the way they wanted.
– Petri Kontiola looking for speed, but he doesn’t get the puck at any point. Ilves pushes to the same narrow wing and because of that it is crowded compared to Pelicans, who dare to play and pass from small gaps.
The second batch was for a long time the celebration of the people of Lahti. The Pelicans were able to capitalize on their good start when Aatu Jämsen stretched the net with a two-man advantage Teemu Eronen input.
– It’s difficult. The situation, when the situation is, Ilves can’t get the continuation going, Saarinen stated a few minutes later about the Tampere team’s play.
Lancaster lifted Ilves from the bridge
Ilves didn’t get his first shot of the set until the match was halfway through. The next shot towards the goal was all the more important, because Les Lancaster was able to strike Matias Mäntykivin to the puck net.
The end of the set was strongly Tampere, and only the Pelicans keeper Patrik Bartos too saves kept the people of Lahti in the lead until the final set.
In the third set, the tassel ears were on top of the game again. The equalizer was seen with superiority, when Joona Ikonen hit the loose puck into the net from the back post.
Ilves got the upper hand for the second time. After a long sawing, Lancaster hit the puck irresistibly into the top corner, his second hit of the evening. Mäntykivi and Ikonen got the pass to the goal.
Tikka: “We found another gear”
Ilves, who caught two assist points in the match Tommi Tikka can see that the team found a new gear in the second period.
– We found a second gear for the second set from the middle forward. We were strong after that. And those superior forces finished, we got the important goals. A really important victory, Tikka summed up for Urheilu.
According to Tika, Lancaster’s narrow goal freed and brought more power to Ilves.
– This is really great. These are great games. Everything happens: we’re losing and we’ll level up and it’s over, says Tikka.
The series continues on Tuesday in Tampere after a few days in between. The four-day break after the first two games was not to Tika’s liking.
– A couple is fine, but if it becomes more like after the trip to Lahti… then no more like that, Tikka said.
Supporters lit a torch in the stands
The match started with smoke, when a turquoise smoke torch was lit in the Pelicans’ supporters end. The widespread smoke was also captured on television. According to MTV (you will switch to another service) ushers removed spectators from the Pelicans’ fan end while the game was in progress.
– The organizers asked and looked for where the smoke bomb came from. No one seemed to acknowledge. I hope someone got out of the arena, one of the viewers commented on Iltalehte (you go to another service).
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 Ice Hockey Tour follows the matches. The broadcast starts 15 minutes before the match.