The finals of the Ice Hockey Championship League between Tampere Tappara and Lahti Pelicans will start on Saturday, April 20. follows the finals on its website moment by moment. 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.
The spring culmination of the SM league starts on Friday in Tampere. Like last season, the men’s Finnish ice hockey championship will be decided between Tampere Tappara and Lahti Pelicans.
Last season, the mighty Tappara marched to the championship by winning the final series 4–1 against the Pelicans, who somewhat surprisingly advanced to the finals. This year, the scores of Tampere and Lahti people have equalized, according to Urheilu’s hockey expert Top Nättinen with.
– Tappara hasn’t been the kind of violently rolling wagon all the time, which it was last season. The Pelicans team can definitely see the shot spots they want to hit. Last season, it still felt like nothing could break that wall, Nättinen describes.
In this article, together with the expert, we raise three issues that are decisive for the SM league championship.
Composition width
The final teams have had an exceptionally long rest, six days, after the end of the semi-finals. In the playoffs, a surprisingly long break serves both teams equally.
– Especially on the tactical side, the teams have received intact training days. Both of them have been able to go through their meetings and plans in peace on several different days, and there has been no need to rush everything into the same thing, says Nättinen.
– It is interesting to see how the players handle this as individuals. Is almost a week a long time to wait for some? And then when the belt has been tight, it comes off as an overload in matches, he reflects.
However, Nättinen believes that more than individuals, one of the decisive factors will be the width of the teams’ formations and especially the deciding fronts.
– I want to highlight the statistic that Tappara has a total of 13 players in its lineup who have scored at least five or more power points during the playoffs. The Pelicans have executed well, but they only have five such players. So, Tappara has almost three players on the field able to score, Pelicans only about one.
The finals of the SM league were already anticipated in the ice hockey round. Press to listen to reflections on the player below.
Tactical choices
It will be especially interesting to see if one of the teams will “pull a rabbit out of the hat” and surprise their opponent with tactical changes.
– I expect more from the Pelicans and the head coach From Tommi Niemela the ways in which the team wants to destabilize Tappara’s play. For example, whether at some point they completely take the momentum out of the game or play a strong trap without a puck. I don’t think the Pelicans want to go down in the series, but to change the tempo of the game.
Both teams also have clear top chains. Pelicans’ canine teeth have been Ryan Laschin, Patrik Carlsson and by Lars Bryggman formed by the trio (total of 27 power points). Tapparalla has become the top chain Oiva Keskinen led by the chain, on its sides Petteri Puhakka and Nick Halloran (a total of 23 power points).
Even with the darkening of these chains, we will see choices from the teams’ coaching groups. Gambling certain chains against another with the home team’s substitution advantage is a familiar tactical choice, especially in playoff hockey. In this series, Tappara has the home advantage.
The Pelicans have had success in their previous quarterfinal and semifinal series in shutting down the opponent’s top chains, precisely because of their home advantage.
The so-called “shadow chain” of Lahti residents Jonas Enlund–Antti Tyrväinen–Juhamatti Aaltonen was able to black out the chains led by the two wizards. In the semifinals against HIFK Jori Lehterä remained in the shadows with his chains, he stepped against Kärppi Teemu Turunen led by a joke.
– This field versus field is a really delicious topic. This is the first series in which the Pelicans don’t get a home advantage, so it’s more difficult to overshadow “Keskis” on the away field, for example. It will be interesting to see if Tyrväinen’s chain will be played directly against Keskinen’s chain in the end for this reason and the fact that Tappara has a wide front of solvers.
Mental stamina
Tappara and Pelicans have renewed, but are familiar with each other. That’s why both teams also want to push each other to the limit, also mentally, when the championship is at stake.
During the last 11 league seasons, Tappara has played in the final nine times. The people of Tampere have learned to win championships even by losing them over the years. Is the same for the Pelicans?
– They have definitely grown, but at the same time the season has been different. Last season, the place in the finals was a surprise and an incredible thing for Lahti hockey, a small-scale championship. The challenger setup is not the same now, Nättinen begins.
– The Pelicans have invested in this season more than ever. They have now been able to aim specifically for the championship throughout the season. I also think that new and old players in the locker room have the idea that now if ever Tappara is beatable. Even though Tappara has found his “old model” and has sometimes romped from victory to victory, it is last season Jussi Tapolan with the team and this season Rikard Grönborgin difference between the group.
Also, the means of the “dark side”, hardness, jaggedness and moving on the borderlands of the rules, are used when shaking the opponent at the latest in the finals. The representatives of Tappara on this side have suffered injuries. Brother Matti Savinainen has played semi-fit and Luke Witkowski was injured in the quarterfinals.
The Pelicans’ respective department deserves Top from Nättine braggart. Antti Tyrväinen and the defender are also capable of villainous hooks Ben Blood have outplayed opponents but stayed away from team play-breaking actions.
– I have admired how Tyrväinen has focused on that aspect of the game exactly as much as is needed. It’s been really cool to watch. He has been able to bring results, but he has not spilled over at all. He has not “stolen” from his team anywhere. In this series, especially, there is no room for freezing. Just because it changes the direction of games, Nättinen emphasizes.