“After all the years now, it’s the moment”

Patrick Curry (left), Jaakko Rissanen and Tuomas Kiiskinen are KalPa key players. Matti Raivio / AOP

– The moving team eats its skill, Kimmo Timonen says.

– And the KalPan team is moving really well at the moment.

The differences between the championships in the championship are the cutting of hair, but Timonen believes in KalPa, whom he belongs to.

The Stanley Cup winner now lives in the United States and acts as the Honorary Consul of Finland in New Jersey.

-A few games have been watched here at the American head, but I was just three weeks in Finland and went to see three KalPa games, says Timonen.

– I don’t want to put any pressure on the team, but now that I see it live, now that championship is close.

Ranked third in the regular season, KalPa is aiming for the first championship in his club history. So far, it has won two silver (1990-91 and 2016-17) and one bronze (2008-09). Last season’s investment was fourth.

“Hard to win”

Timonen points out that, of course, all teams that have reached the quarterfinals have the opportunity to go to the end.

– But how KalPa is playing right now! He admires.

– It’s such a moving and uniform hockey with a good goalkeeper that if there are no injuries, it is a difficult team to win in the players. That’s why I think that after all these years now is the moment.

KalPa watchdog Stefanos lekas The middle value of the goals released (2.15) was the second best in the regular season, and only the lynx could be better Jakub Málek (2.09).

Big in the yard

Timonen also sees it to improve KalPa’s positions that more or less difficulties in the league’s big clubs or in recent years have been in trouble.

For example, all the medalists of last season are under the leadership: the bronze-to-the-line rinses were outside the playoffs, the silver-pelicans plowed in the Playout series, and the reigning champion Tapparakin had to start with the ninth start of the Pleijar.

– Big and great opportunity with KalPa. Yes, the Savonians are excited, Timonen says.

Timonen compares the unity of the team to the Torino Lion in 2006, when he was involved in winning Olympic silver, Finland’s hardest achievement in the brightest NHL stars tournament.

– Every dude knows his role. Whoever knows the system to go.

In one coal

KalPan’s game identity is built Pekka Virra From the first Kuopion project (2006-11) to the stone legs of hockey control and skating force.

Current head coach Petri Karjalainen Has done a great job in cherishing and developing the tradition of a fast, creative and offensive game style according to the requirements of the current hockey.

Karelian now works in the Pest for the second time, and there is also continuity in the line -up.

– That’s what it requires. The core group has been together for quite some time, and the team has good experience players, Timonen notes.

This section includes a captain Tuomas Kiiskinen In addition Jaakko Rissanen and Lasse Lappalainen.

For the sharpest tip, KalPa is competitive because Matyas Kantner and Patrick Curry were second and third in the regular season paint exchange. Kantner lost the goal kingdom with the same number of goals (30) to the winner of HIFK Iiro Pakarinen.

“The line -up is a mix of great players, but even a bigger significance is to play as a team and blown together,” Timonen knows.

– It has a bigger meaning than what people realize.

In the quarterfinals that started today, KalPa will face the seventh in the regular season Aces, who in the first Playoff round was washed by HPK directly with a 3-0 win.