Tappara’s referee Marcus Davidsson already thought that the final series will continue on Saturday in Lahti. Then Veli-Matti Savinainen came into the picture, who primed the Tappara people’s party with his last-minute equalizer.
TAMPERE. The supporters of Tappara were tormented from behind the shoulder on Thursday, when the Pelicans came from three goals down and passed in the fifth final of the hockey SM league. Eventually Brother Matti Savinainen torpedoed the Lahti people’s victory celebration a second before the end of the match and Marcus Davidson junta’s championship finish in 68.57.
This is how Tappara took the championship with a 4–1 match victory.
Davidsson admitted that his faith was also tested during the game.
– It’s hard to realize that we won. I already thought that we would have to go back to Lahti, but then Savinainen equalized, Davidsson had a chance.
The winning shot came when the Swedish center smelled a loose puck Casimir Jürgens after the bet. Davidsson’s quick shot missed the Pelicans keeper Jasper Patrikainen.
– The best feeling ever! It just gets mixed up when the puck goes in and you don’t really understand what to do.
Tappara hero and his brother Jonathan Davidson moved from Swedish HV71 to Tampere in the middle of the season. In the second season, they became fan favorites in Jönköping, when the duo collected a lot of points and helped the club get promoted. This season, their responsibility in the HV remained small, but in Tappara it went well.
Marcus Davidson decided in the overtime already in the KooKoo series and again in the decisive final.
– A quiet, but really liked player in the team. He is a fast skater and can solve games with his good shot, teammate Anton Levtchi described Thursday’s hero.
Davidsson’s goal started Tappara’s golden celebration, which started on the ice, where a large number of the players’ relatives came. Later, the journey continued to the dressing room and at night the people of Tappara enjoyed themselves in a nightclub located in the center of Tampere.