Watching the third quarter final between the Pelicans and HIFK from the top shelf of the Isku Arena in Lahti brought back memories of a year ago.
I've seen this before.
HIFK recalls the Tampere Ilvi of last spring.
As we go back a year, there was one title above all others in the league: the Tampere Finals. Could it be their time already?.
It is not because Tommi Niemelän Driven by Pelicans spoiled the party.
How did this happen? Because pelicans bore the elves.
I became a woman The tufted pack headed completely unarmed and left it banging its head against the wall. The direction turned on Pelican Wall.
A similar scenario was seen in the quarter-final series between Pelicans and HIFK.
The Pelicans, led by Tommi Niemelä, play fantastic, two-phase hockey. It plays what the game asks for. When shaving, pressure is applied effectively without crumbling the joint. Backing off, we block the lines and make the guy's life hell.
During the current quarterfinal series, HIFK has had some long rotations in the offensive zone in the Pelicans' end. A recurring theme among them, however, is that HIFK is operating on an external track.
It didn't get to the center because the Pelicans defended it so solidly.
On top of this, the Pelicans have started their own offensive game, as it puts the game into proper rhythm. Patrick Carlson, Ryan Lachine And By Lars Brygmann The chain now sets a playful example to others. HIFK is in trouble with that trio.
Regardless, that streak practically single-handedly decided the third quarter for the Pelicans.
After all, the Pelicans are handling the saddest phenomenon of the league spring, namely the law of the jungle.
Comment continues below image.
Boys play in the regular season and men in the spring. What are all the words in the title?
The tax allowed in the league has now been taken to completely ridiculous spheres. By way of interpretation at this point, only the struggles of the day and the obvious high clubs count. And if the puck is thrown into the stands.
Otherwise, you can drag as much as you want. Can rip, block and tap.
Obviously you can fight in the spring, but does constant blocking and hanging serve the game in any way?
For larger stakes the range of judges is certainly higher. Who wants to contribute to benefit others in critical moments.
Despite what league decision-makers and umpires try to argue, the league's umpiring lineup has changed drastically from what it was in the fall.
I'll give you a brutal middle ground: There were three parties in the ring in the fall. Now there are two.
And this will not change for any reason. Here we go, just like that virmasmasa once said. Now let's play in the forest until the height of spring.
In the summer, you can sit back on the sauna boards and talk in the best working groups about how things went in your own opinion.
The Pelicans benefit from the current rule interpretations of the HIFK series because its own superiority doesn't work. At the same time, the only and real danger of HIFK is precisely at the moments when it rotates. Jory Lehteren By his own line.
However, in the series between the Pelicans and HIFK, the biggest focus will be how Tommy Nymele handles his former coaching staff. From Ville Belteau Like a thousand and zero.
HIFK struggled with inconsistency throughout the season. It may glow for a moment, but soon it's back in the shell.
The same has happened again against the Pelicans. At no point did HIFK convey such a message that there is now a real threat.
Or there is a team that is called the champion and plays accordingly.
The Pelicans are forcing HIFK to play hockey they don't know how to play. As a result, HIFK had to make game choices against its rhythm. A fitting explanation was found in the deciding goal of Saturday's third quarter-final.
A video of this can be found at the top of the story.
Now the finger of blame is pointing at those responsible.
Ville Peltonen lacks potential from HIFK's current squad.
This is an inescapable stark reality.
