KalPa has taken a 3–1 lead against Ilves in the quarterfinals of the hockey SM league. On Wednesday, the Kuopio team scored three goals in the last eight minutes to win 4–2 in Kuopio.
Ilves will play with its back against the wall for the first time on Friday 29.3. In Tampere. Statistically, it’s puzzling that KalPa is one win away from the semifinals, despite leading the series in games played by a total of just over 11 minutes, with four quarter-final games totaling over 272 minutes.
The activity of the Kuopio players that lasted throughout the match was rewarded at the end after being in a 1–2 defeat situation before that. In front of the goal, there was a four chain in the right place Andreas Okany spooned a 2-2 equalizer from the parade ground into the Ilves net in 52.51.
– We were pretty good for a couple of sets, in the third the feeling took us sometimes, but we gathered ourselves well at the end. Nothing needs to be changed in the future. We don’t run out of faith, we are a four-cylinder team, Okany emphasized.
KalPan’s 3–2 winning goal was shot into the counter puck, with quite a horse kick Matyas Kantner in 57.10. Oliver Kapanen, who at the same time took the lead in the playoff points market with 4+5=9, got an assist on the deciding hit. At the end, Okany, who scored his second goal, sealed the score 4–2.
Urheilu’s ice hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen praised KalPa.
– KalPa plays a quality game. They play close-knit and powerful ice hockey, where the puck play is at a good level, Lehkonen beamed at the ice hockey tour.
– Ilves had made a tactic for this match, where it didn’t take any risks in terms of pucks. The people of Tampere completely lacked puck play when playing five against five. Ilves was not able to attack with the full force of the five, and the team’s structures were not in order, Lehkonen wondered.
The head coach of winners Petri Karjalainen was satisfied with the team’s improvement compared to the previous game.
– In the first and especially in the second set, the structure of our game was really good. Before the third set, faith was strong (in a 1-2 defeat situation). At the end, you could see how the work thanked its creator. In the name of truth, Ilves had a chance to take a 3–1 lead in the 3rd set. The margins in the series are small, comments Karjalainen.
Ilves’ coach Antti Pennanen was outwardly calm at the media conference.
– An intensive start to the game. The coolers messed up our gaming. The coldness of Vitone left us wondering. We didn’t last until the last meters, KalPa was better today. Some of the players need to focus on doing the right thing and their nerve control needs to be smarter, Pennanen criticizes.
A five-minute ice time spoke in the opening set
Defender of KalPa Lasse Lappalainen at the end of the first period, he got a stick hit on his hand by an Ilves player and ended up lying on the ice in pain.
After the video review, Ilves Matias Mäntykive got a 5+20 minute penalty for whining in time 16:24.
– A little swish for the hands. It wasn’t big. Lappalainen first offered his stern to Mäntykive. Blaming one’s own stupidity came as an afterthought. The judges had the opportunity to give a big ice, I wouldn’t have given it myself, ‘s ice hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen comment.
Filip Westerlund scored a 1–0 goal for KalPa from the ensuing advantage in 18:13. Free Tuomas Kiiskinen the shining mask would hardly have been hit.
After that, Lappalainen got a pointless suspension after stopping Ilves Santeri from Virta when playing with superiority, and KalPa’s special situation was wasted.
At the end of the set, I evened Ilves Simon Stransky luckily equalized the scores to 1–1 in 19:40. KalPan Hugo Gallet would shoot the puck into his own goal. We went into the break with a tie.
KalP’s Oliver Kapase had a penalty shot in the opening set, which was saved by Ilves Jakub Malek however refused. In addition, Kantner and Jaakko Rissasella there were great places to do it. Shots for KalPa in the set 20–14.
Lynx in sail, Eemeli from Finland again an important hit
Ilves sneaked into a 2–1 lead against KalPa in the second set Emeli Finland with success in 33:27, even though the home team took most of Ilves by a liter. In the previous clash between the teams, Finland scored a decisive overtime goal.
KalPa dominated, especially when playing five against five, but wasted their own superiority and goal chances. Defending Ilves was of course self-sacrificing, and the people of Tampere threw themselves in the path of the pucks.
Ilves had its own searching time in the middle of the third period, when it got the puck into KalPa’s goal cage twice within a couple of minutes. When playing in a draw Mike O’Leary tipped the puck from Eemeli Suomen’s pass to the inside post, from which the play equipment bounced back onto the field. After that the KalPa guard Stafanos Lekkas tentatively blocked the puck, but luckily for him it hit the crossbar.
After the match, Ilves posted a picture on social media of a situation where KalPa’s player seems to be offside. After that situation, KalPa’s 3–2 winning goal is built in 57.10.