Starting on Friday, the west coast series of the 1st playoff round of the Norwegian Hockey Championship League between Luko and TPS is going to be curly and even. Taking the last ten regular season games, Lukko was 8th best in the series and TPS 9th.
– This is such a well-rounded series that anything can happen. In the regular season, the wins were divided 3–3 at the end of regular time. Lukko won the first three, TPS won the last three. Statistically, both have pretty weak numbers. Individual top individuals are quite few. I think this is a coin toss series, reflects the expert Top Nättinen still lifes.
The game will be played on Friday at 18:30 in Rauma and immediately on Saturday at 17:00 in Turku. If necessary, the third clash will take place on Monday, March 18.
– The lock is in a strange situation. Some people on social media have compared this season to TPS’s golden spring of 2010, but I don’t believe that myself. However, TPS then got directly to the quarterfinals and the base was better than me.
TPS has recently played in the finals of the Finnish Hockey League twice, in the seasons 2020–21 and 2021–22, although last season ended in disappointment and tenth place.
– It’s kind of funny that when such a big club finishes ninth, there are shirtless fans in the stands. This is not a rebuke to the fans. It mainly tells what situation the club has ended up in, when the playoff spot is celebrated like a championship, Nättinen reflects.
Underperforming and fluctuating
Nättinen has noted that TPS has turned tight games for themselves since the end of the season, but still there are too many question marks around the team on the eve of real games.
Both Lukko and TPS have underperformed and played erratically in the regular season. In the current season, Palloseura has been in a confused state and it is facing big losses, at least financially.
– Turku had good, young age groups in previous seasons. There were about 12–15 players who had grown up together and worked together. If anything, it leads to playing for the logo and others. This was a big derivative of TPS reaching the finals earlier. Now these age groups have been looted elsewhere, there are only splashes left, expert Ismo Lehkonen saddens.
Lehkonen does not mince his words when criticizing TPS.
– TPS’s season and offensive play have been rough, defense and goalkeeping are at least at an ok level. Foreigners can’t really get anything done, and there was no line firepower before one young Swedish defender, Max Lindroth’s arrival.
Luko’s game dropped after the CHL semifinals
Lukko is the Finnish champion for the 2020–21 season. The last two seasons have only brought the team to 8th and 5th place.
– I have thought about Luka a lot, because during the CHL it was the best playing team and they played a really good game. The people of Rauma were only one goal away from the CHL final. After that, something mysterious happened and Luko became a mystery team, wonders Lehkonen.
Why didn’t Lukko get excited about anything at the end of the season? The team did the bare minimum in everything, which ultimately earned them a mini-result.
– When I look at Luko’s crew, I get an itch that when all the most important contracts have practically been made by that time of the winter, would it have happened that the professional players from elsewhere have realized that this year’s goal was here and the rest of the season’s Main Series will only be skimmed through , thinks Lehkonen.
Topi Nättinen, on the other hand, does not see Luko in the goalkeeper duo Daniel Lebedeff and Christopher Gibson would be master material.
– Everything in Luka is average just based on the statistics. With only one player, Sebastian Revolla has more than 40 points in the regular season. Goalkeepers are also a big problem, they are both less than 90 percent savers. Of course, TPS has a similar situation, admits Nättinen.
Tomi Lämsä’s screen position
‘s puck experts agree that the even mini-series of the playoffs will largely be resolved by a compromise between the coaches, where TPS’s Tommi Miettinen48, meets Luko Tomi Lämsän44.
– From Luko, I have built a narrative for myself that coach Lämsä could hatch something in the playoffs. What does Lämsä, cooked in hard broths in Russia and Ufa, do during its career? Luko’s Trunk Series has been so official-like, Nättinen wonders.
Lehkonen accompanies and emphasizes that the Lukko coach must now conjure up something from his toolbox and make use of his previous experiences in Russia.
– It has also been warm Erkka Westerlundin as a student for a long time. Erkka still mentors Lämsa a lot. Certain tactical nuances need to be dug out for TPS’s good defense and also on the mental side something to ignite, so that the team from Rauma would play passionate hockey again, Lehkonen emphasizes.
According to Lehkonen, the biggest thing for a coach is to get the top players to be brave in the playoffs and play their own, best game and enjoy it.
– When you can’t influence history, you have to quickly throw the past change in the trash. All senses must be alerted. Players need to be encouraged, especially Finnish players, to the point where they are not afraid to be good.
“TPS coach Miettinen in the wrong place”
As a former player, Nättinen knows that the importance of games automatically raises the players’ emotional state.
– However, when the match goes to the second and third set, pressure and the fear of losing come into the game – especially in this first playoff round. Enthusiasm, courage and possibilities must be brought out even then. The coaches must encourage that now is the moment when everyone should be together.
In Nättinen’s opinion, for the people of Rauma, whether Lukko sees the pre-favorite as an opportunity or a threat will play a big role in the games at the turn of the week.
TPS coach Tommi Miettisten’s expert uploads a harsh-sounding claim that he is now in the wrong place.
– Miettinen was washed away in April last year and the team was assembled at least on some level For Jussi Ahokka. When you look at TPS’s hard work and know that Miettinen would like to play active puck control, in my opinion such an alliance should never have been entered into game-wise, says Nättinen.
– Miettinen must have tried to come across, but he has not been able to come across sufficiently due to his own manners.
According to Nättinen, Lukko pilot Lämsa has not been seen yet, and it is not known how he will perform in the playoffs coach against coach.
– Here I trust Lämsa a little more, who has more experience, Nättinen estimates.
Listen to the matches of the first round of the playoffs between KalPa–Sport and Lukko–TPS live at Areena on Friday 15.3. The live broadcast from the Ice Hockey round starts at 18:10.