Anni Arkko
The Tappara beast really woke up in Kouvola on Friday, Iltalehti’s Anni Arkko writes about Kouvola.
KooKoo and Tappara’s fourth twist stretched into overtime. Pasi Liesimaa
While watching the fourth final match of the SM league, PMMP’s hit song from the past years started playing in my head Oh there somewhere mine.
In the song, Paula Vesala and Mira Luoti sing wistfully what if it happens like it does to others. You can think the same when watching the final series between KooKoo and Tappara.
Will Tappara be able to repeat the “PMMP curse” already for the third time this spring?
First, HPK stretched the quarter-final series to the fifth game. Tappara had opened the series with a win, but HPK surprised the dynasty team. Tappara still pressed on.
The next victim was the local resistance Ilves. Ilves beat Tappara no less than 6–0 in the second match and took a 2–0 lead in the semi-final series. However, Tappara won the next four matches and advanced to the final.
In the final series, KooKoo won the first two matches – a big surprise. The coffee tables started talking about the surprise champion, quite rightly, until Tappara got his first win of the series in the third game.
PMMP asked “what if it happens like the others?” ATTE KAJOVA
On Friday in Kouvola, the Tappara beast seemed to have gotten loose.
Both teams entered the opening set really actively. KooKoo immediately got several goal chances. However, Tappara got the puck into the goal no less than three times during the 13 minutes of the puck – although one of the hits was disallowed due to goalkeeper interference.
KooKoo responded with a single hit in the opening set and tied the score at 2-2 in the second set. The home team searched for a goal in the third period as hungry as a drunken night snack in a barbecue queue.
The solution to the even thriller was only seen in the third overtime. KooKoo got the puck into the goal once, but the hit was rejected as offside. In the end, Tappara’s Oiva Keskinen scored the accepted winning goal from a penalty corner.
The story continues after the picture.
In Kouvola, they played with a really long formula. Pasi Liesimaa
What was significant about the match was that Tappara no longer seemed like a team struggling under KooKoo’s active vertical puck, as in the first two matches. KooKoo didn’t get to dance.
Tappara was constantly dangerous.
That’s what you can expect from a millionaire who collects championships, whose ranks are cooled by Joachim Blichfeld and Benjamin Rautiainen. It was a bad sign for KooKoo that Rautiainen gave an insightful pass to Blichfeld, who also scored. Do you finally have spring in your chest?
That’s why KooKoo’s booth is surely thinking feverishly now under the leadership of head coach Jouko Myrrä, what if it happens to KooKoo like the others. How to get a sensational championship?
More answers will be given when the series continues already on Saturday in Tampere.
