Stefanos Lekkas rejected the Finnish Championship for KalPa. The Swedish reinforcement was able to stagger.
The first goal of the playoffs in the finals and follow -up. Swedish defender Filip Westerlund On Saturday, the ice cold trick settled the Finnish Championship for KalPa.
Westerlund’s 3-2 win was born in 66.08.
– I downloaded from the feed and hoped that the puck would enter. I couldn’t have chosen a better moment to score. I saw the reel online and I was immediately full of joy, Westerlund glowed on the Lappeenranta evening.
Westerlund plays for the second time in KalPa. He rotted 11+15 in the regular season.
The championship is the first in club history for KalPa.
– This is great. I’m completely speechless, Westerlund said.
The speechless was also KalPa’s hero painter Stefanos Lekkaswho rejected 29 times in a solution game. In the entire playoffs, the control percentage was 91.8.
Lekkas followed a little party in the locker room for a long time.
– It still feels like we have a game tomorrow. I have not yet internalized the championship. When we scored a solution, it felt incredible, Lukkas said.
“I love Finnish”
Filip Westerlund became KalPa’s hero. Niklas Pehkonen/AOP
Lekkas took several top foliage in the match. At the beginning of the follow-up, SaiPa got dangerous places for KalPa.
The US guard did not bend.
– I was always thinking about the next shot and trying to live in an instant. I can’t score goals. I wanted to give the team a chance to win.
Before the fall of 2022, Lekkas had played his entire career in the United States. After the junior series, he rejected discs at the University of Vermont and mainly in the ECHL called “Farm Farm”.
The goalkeeper played seven games in the 2020-2021 season with a loan agreement at the NHL club Buffalo Sabers Farm Team at the Rochester Americans. He signed a NHL agreement, but did not play a game in bright lights.
Lekkas arrived in Kuopio from Odense Bulldogs in Denmark. He wanted to thank KalPa for the transfer as the championship was resolved.
– KalPa took the risk even though I played in Denmark. They saw something in me and believed in me. I couldn’t be happier.
– I love Finland and Kuopio. I couldn’t ask for more.
Stefanos Lekkas fought phenomenal. Mikko Lieri/AOP
Both Lekkas and Westerlund praised KalPa’s perseverance. The team played long series but was able to squeeze up to the championship.
– This team will never die. It is no surprise that we are at this point, Lekkas praised.
KalPa departed from Lappeenranta at 23.30 towards Kuopio. In the locker room, a banquet was previously flowing.
According to the goalkeeper, the team has lived in such an instant that the more detailed plans were still obscured.
– I put it all, Westerlund, who introduced his dance movements in the booth, promised.