The second final of the ice hockey championship league Pelicans – Tappara will be played at 18:30 in Lahti. Puheen Jääkiekkokierros follows the events in the broadcast starting at 18:10.
Tappara is playing a convincing hockey season. The people of Tampere are already celebrating the CHL (Champions League) championship and right now it seems that nothing will stop Tappara’s march to the Finnish championship.
Tappara defeats Pelicans 5–1 in the first final game of the league spring played on Wednesday. The second final will be played on Friday in Lahti. The championship comes off with four wins.
The bravest even call Tapparaa the toughest SM league team of the 21st century. Sports expert Top Nättinen sees that such talks are in no way exaggerated.
– Certainly by throwing one of the toughest teams, at least in the top 2. But it’s not always fair to compare a current team or the same team ten years later, Nättinen estimates.
Helsinki IFK’s spring 1998 championship team is considered the toughest team in the history of the SM league. Turku Palloseura also had dazzling teams in their great years of the 1990s.
Tappara icon Kuusela got to play the flute
The hardness of Tappara’s material is illustrated by the fact that even ax chests are among the player icons Kristian Kuusela is on the sidelines of the team composition. The all-time leading scorer in the playoffs has only played in one quarter-final, when on March 21, he was responsible for more than 10 minutes against KooKoo. On Friday they also whistle Juuso Ikonen and Geoff Platt.
– Tappara is one of the most committed, professional and athletic teams. Tappara acquires players who understand the club’s DNA. Kuusela is a player who understands the situation. He would definitely like to play, but he also understands that there is no point in changing a winning lineup, Nättinen explains.
According to Nättinen, Kuusela is an experienced top professional and can bring significant things to the team even from the background.
– The dynamics of the Tappara team is really good, and every player knows his place. Kuuselanki’s place has been very clear in the playoffs and there has been no need to bounce up or down, says Nättinen.
Patrik Virta was on the sidelines from the first final match, but will join in the second final match on Friday night.
– I know my level, it certainly doesn’t depend on whether it’s enough on that field. There have been injuries and a difficult season, so I have accepted my situation, Virta commented on Wednesday, when he did not fit into the lineup.
Tappara had a lot of injuries in the regular season, which is why the group was strengthened in the middle of the season with Ikose, Platt and Marcus mixed With Jonathan Davidsson. Now the health situation is significantly better, which has led to difficult choice situations.
“Experienced Tapola showed his greatness”
The head coach brings his own charge to this spring’s gold hunt Jussi Tapola will leave Tappara after this season.
– The ending of Tapola’s story certainly has a massive meaning for the spiritual side. He wants to win every season, but when he knows his story will come to an end, it creates an extra boost, Nättinen sees.
– Tapola is the ultimate professional, knows hockey and knows how to lead a team. The team has practiced really well. Tapola also knows how to leave space for players when it is required.
Tapola’s professionalism was most recently demonstrated in Wednesday’s first final. Pelicans had risen to 1-1 in the second set in Tampere and gained command in the rink. Tapola reacted quickly, took a timeout, and right after that Tappara quickly wrapped up the match.
– After Tapola’s overtime, the direction of the game changed completely. These are the small moments where a coach steps up. Experienced Tapola showed his greatness, Nättinen times.
Tappara cannot be given the puck for free
According to Topi Nättinen, the Pelicans should not change anything in their own game. But the people of Lahti must not give up the puck as easily as they did in the first period of Wednesday’s opening final.
– The Pelicans gave up too much of the puck, and their own rhythms got messed up. The Pelicans have to bravely keep the puck, because Tappara won’t come over headlong if they don’t really get a chance to do so, Nättinen thinks.
Nättinen lists ways the Pelicans could shake Tappara.
– The Pelicans should trust their own short passing game, how they got to this situation. Rhythms the game better and slows the game down. If the individual players just push and give the puck to Tappara for free, then Tappara starts spinning, Nättinen describes.
– Tappara is dangerous when it gets the puck. But Tappara is not significantly better than other teams in the game without the puck.
Tremendous level differences on paper
As expected, Tappara will play for the championship again, but Pelicans’ place in the finals is the biggest sensation of the league season. Nättinen does not see that many of the players from Lahti would fit into Tappara’s lineup.
– Lukas Jasek could be such a player through pure skill and role playing. Iikka Kangasniemi is really good, but I don’t see him as a Tappara-looking player. However, Kangasniemi and Jasek perhaps need more freedom of their own, and in Tappara things are based on collectivity, Nättinen estimates.
Nättinen mentions a Swedish striker as other potentially eligible players for Tapparaa by Lars Bryggman and the young defender Topias Vilén.
Tappara is struggling in the finals for the eighth time in the last ten years. Sports director Antti Tuomenoksa emphasizes that everything starts from the club’s high level of demands.
– The culture of winning comes through hard work. The level of requirements of the organization is very high. We want players who want to succeed. However, the athlete is in the center, and the club must be able to provide a framework for that, Tuomenoksa tells Urheilu.
The end of the Tapola era in the spring will certainly bring some changes to Tappara. According to yet unconfirmed information, Swedish Rikard Grönborg replace Tapola as Tappara’s pilot. Grönborg has coached the Swiss Zurich Lions in recent years.
– The club has its own philosophy, but of course each coach brings his own spices to it. But history must also be respected, Tuomenoksa states.