The ice hockey league has seen a new color behind the bench this season, when Rikard Grönborg has worked as Tappara’s head coach.
The fiery Grönborg has clashed with the judges many times during the season. He has slammed the door of the changing room and yelled at the referees several times. Once in November, he received an early shower command when he criticized the referees in a TPS match.
This has also continued in press conferences, where Grönborg has, for example, criticized that the league is on a dangerous pathas players cannot be protected.
– I don’t argue with the referees any more than others, but of course there are some questions…, Grönborg spins in an interview with after Friday’s SaiPa match and continues:
– I’m trying to get used to the judges and their line of judges. I want to make sure they are responsible. Our discussions have been great. For example, today they communicated and discussed things.
A dark episode
The season of Tappara, who moved to Grönborg’s time, has been two-part.
The beginning was full of fireworks, as Tappara ran from victory to victory. After Christmas, a month-long more difficult period began. Tappara won only two of their eleven matches.
Tappara has slowly turned its course, but it suffered a clear defeat against the toughest meter of recent times, the Jukurei, on Wednesday.
On Friday, Tappara narrowly beat SaiPa away 1–0. After that, Grönborg described at the press conference that Tappara has a tough training period behind him.
– We had some losses in January, but we have won the last 5-6 games, and I think we are on the right track, Grönborg describes.
– I didn’t like the way we played and the way we lost. But I think it’s still a good result from a difficult January.
Of course, Grönborg admits that Tappara still has work to do with his playing and the team’s game is still finding its way. He also explains how Tappara lost Brother Matti Vittasmäki and Valtteri Kemläinen for use by the national team, in addition to which Tobias Ekberg was sick.
– I think it’s really important that there are ups and downs during the regular season. You have to go through difficult periods, but it’s about how you get out of there.
Despite their difficult period, Tappara is still in second place in the regular season, five points away from Ilves.
– I’m really looking forward to the last 11 matches, that we get in good shape and go to the playoffs in the highest possible position, Grönborg states.
Tappara looks at the big picture
Tappara changed his playing for this season in a more entertaining direction than before. It aims to quickly turn the game forward and to grab pucks from high up.
This has also caused problems, because the defensive game has cracked and the goalkeeper Christian Heljanko has had to fend off a lot of direct attacks.
In the case of Tappara, just like the Jukurs, the same question has been around all season: does the active style of play work in the playoffs?
Grönborg does not feel that Tappara should change his way of playing for the playoffs.
– We are committed to the way we play. Of course, we always look at the opponent and there are some things in seven-game series that we can take advantage of.
– Tappara looks at the big picture. Of course winning every game is important, but we are starting something here and we will continue on this path.
The ferocious finishing pace has subsided
The style of play and losses have also attracted criticism during the season. For example, it has been said that Tappara survived his difficult matches in the early season mostly thanks to his highly effective finishing.
Tappara’s shooting percentage was almost 16 percent at the beginning of the season, but now it has sunk to 7.49 percent. Tappara has scored no less than 156 goals so far, while according to goal expectations it should have 123 hits.
Grönborg states that he has not followed the media discussions about Tappara.
– It is good that people have opinions and that discussions take place. But it’s clear to me that we have a plan that we’re going towards.
– People can discuss what they want and see things with different eyes, but we know what we are doing and we are going towards the playoffs.
Interviewer: Marko Koskinen