Direct talk from TPS stars about tackling and the crooked strikes of Tappara packs – this cheap trick can put your health at risk

The first broadcast of the ice hockey round will be heard today, Wednesday, on Puhe and Areena. The round of six matches will be followed from 17:45.

On Wednesday, the Turku Palloseura, skating for the league ice, got a lot of decisive power in its ranks, when the attackers Petrus Palmu and Markus Nurmi returned to the group for this season. Palmu was last seen in a TPS shirt in spring 2020 and Nurmi in the finals in 2022. The duo’s stardom is expected to illuminate the entire SM league.

In the second season in Jukurei, Palmu scored 26 goals and 59 points, which was enough for the shared first place in the goal exchange and second in the point statistics for Tappara Anton Levtchin (26+35=61) after.

Nurmi grew into a 20-goal man in Turku and shone especially in the playoffs of the 2021–22 season, where he scored 19 (4+15) power points in 18 games.

The opponents tried to keep Nurme out of the goal, but the man always bounced up from the surface of the ice. The pier’s nerves withstood the beating admirably, and he didn’t back down.

In the final matches, Tappara was stronger, winning 4–1, and TPS had to settle for silver medals for the second year in a row. However, Nurmi made a big impression and is even now a marked man.

The harsh treatment and especially the charring of the finals have remained in my memory.

– (Tapparan) Mikael Seppälä and Brady Austin came to the ice every time (at the same time). Both are quite big and powerful guys. One pressed the boy from one side and the other from the other. There you could put an ice pack on your side during the breaks so you could continue, Nurmi smiles.

The 195-centimeter and 95-kilogram attacker doesn’t complain, mostly just states what happened. He is impact resistant and not exactly a slob himself.

Nurmi knows that especially a star player has to be ready for anything and right from the first seconds of the games.

A character test awaits in front of the goal

The SM league has directed the players to pay more attention to transverse sticks in the season that started on Tuesday. Sticks should be kept down when fencing near the goal line, and players must not gain a clear advantage when chasing the puck.

No matter what the lines are, Nurmi plans to go in front of the opponent’s goal. That’s what he gets paid for.

– After all, character is questioned more than anything else. That work has to be felt as important, he says.

Palmu, who is 27 centimeters shorter, is a completely different type of player, but just as stubborn. The man penetrates tight spaces and dares to play in traffic jams. Palmu also emphasizes the importance of game intelligence in fights.

– The attacker wants to get between Paki and the goalkeeper. In order to get into a good position for the goal, you have to know how to piss off the opponent. You have to know how to position yourself and time your movements correctly, Palmu says.

In Jukurei, he served as captain, and in Turku, the vice-captain’s letter A adorns his shirt. He will continue as TPS captain Juhani Jasu.

Palmu wants to set an example and highlight the brutes of hard work.

– There are a lot of players in the league who may not be the best skaters or very skilled, but they have done it differently. They go to the goal, put themselves in the body and shoulder and make it their profession. Valuable players, Palmu knows.

The end of the stick in the line of fire

Palmu and Nurmi are some kind of cross between a star player and a man in overalls. They don’t just wait for opportunities, they make things happen and are a thorn in the opponent’s flesh.

Especially the 168-centimeter Palmu requires constant observation, as his head is exposed to the opponent’s shoulders and elbows.

– I have to anticipate and blink where the opponents are. The head has to spin all the time and the brain has to process. The teeth are still beautiful, cheerful Palmu laughs and makes Nurmi tear up as well.

The duo approaches the tackling game from different sides. Nurmi emphasizes the responsibility of the tackler, which has been talked about a lot in recent years in connection with headers.

– Many league players are far too poorly equipped to receive tackles: they play with their heads down and don’t look at all to see if someone is coming. Then Taklaus hits the head, Nurmi sees.

Palmu, on the other hand, pays respect to the opponent.

– In hockey parlance, we talk about “killing”. You can “kill” a guy by choosing to finish the tackle. Or do you just go forward, which is respecting the opponent. I do like hard tackles, and they are part of hockey.

Face first into the path of the puck

Let’s go back to cross clubs. The TPS tandem still wants to highlight one detail that can lead to serious injuries. Palmu and Nurmi don’t like the puck’s way of hitting the kid in the upper back or neck at the exact moment when the puck is coming from the blue line to the goal.

– It’s the cheapest trick to pull the kid on your back. In that case, you face forward towards the puck and it can go badly, Nurmi purns.

– Fortunately, the teeth haven’t come out yet. The puck has hit the helmet many times, Palmu says and knocks his head with his fist.