Saku Salminen entered the third match in place of Pelicans’ tough Ben Blood. Unfortunately, he replaced the tough face literally, writes Urheilu’s Simo Arkko.
Simo Arkkourheilhu journalist
follows the SM league finals moment by moment on its website. The Hockey Tour broadcasts every league final live. All finals will be heard live at Areena, the third final also on Radio Suomen’s soundwaves. The preliminary studios of the ice hockey round can be enjoyed in video form for the first time in the finals.
There was one thing missing from the spring of the Ice Hockey SM League finals before the third final.
Feeling.
In the third set, the series went up in flames in a gruesome way. Pelicans defenseman Saku Salminen tackled the goalkeeper in the attacking end Christian Heljanko.
Heljanko was behind the goal handling the puck. Salminen did not dodge, but shook directly at Heljanko.
The arena in Tampere exploded into a violent storm of screams and a concert of whistles.
Heljanko collected himself for a long time, but was able to continue the match. Salminen, who was bred by Tappara, deservedly got it for preventing the run out.
Salminen got into the third match against Pelicans Ben Blood’s in place of. Unfortunately, he replaced the tough face literally.
Salminen’s act was incomprehensible. He had all the time to dodge Heljanko. What was even going through his head? And why was the defender even the first player behind the opponent’s goal?
The 24-year-old defender made an unfathomable error of judgment. That’s definitely ban-worthy.
Many certainly expected that the final series would see new twists and turns after Tappara’s fierce dominance. However, this was not needed.
The positive thing is that Heljanko seemed to be fine. Although he lost his helmet in the situation, his head did not hit the ice.
The situation could have been much worse.