According to Henri Ikonen, Luko has enough elements for the championship.
Henri Ikonen scored Luko’s winning goal on Tuesday in Tampere. Stock photo. Mika Kylmäniemi / AOP
The top-of-the-league match between Ilves and Lukko ended in a Tampere-like cheap way, when the tassel-eared star goalkeeper Marek Langhamer the Romanians rushed in from the front corner Henri Ikonen old fashioned.
– It was a struggle at the end. Then I thought that we would try to deliver the puck to the goal if there was a rip or it happened to go, Ikonen commented.
It seemed to the audience that the winger saw a gap between Langhamer’s knee pad and the post.
– I didn’t see anything, I just tried to get in there. And this time there was a hole. It certainly looked better than the implementation. There was no idea other than trying to push the puck closer to the goal, Ikonen laughed.
The team’s third goal in the second period was the game-winning hit. Lukko grabbed three series points with goals 4–2.
– Good taste, of course. There was no need to come to Tampere for nothing.
After 14 matches, Lukko is at the top of the league with 29 points.
– Of course, this is a group that can go all the way. We have played against most of them and done well, so why not do it in the spring.
Wall
Marek Langhamer was not at his best between the Ilves’ pipes on Tuesday. Stock photo. Mika Kylmäniemi / AOP
Only 19 goals have been scored for the team from Rauma this season. That means an average of 1.36 per game.
– We have kept the puck a lot on the offensive end, and we don’t give the guy that much control. We have gone through the defensive game and have made it work well. And “Zagi” has defended really well – and sometimes a little more, Ikonen estimates.
Zagi is a goalkeeper Artyom Zagidul. The Russian already has five clean sheets this season.
– He speaks English. Sometimes it’s a bit funny when he has his own accent.
On Tuesday, Zagidulin was soaked in the ice before Ilves’ second goal, when the goalkeeper from Tampere was outside the area Santeri Virtanen made contact with the cashier. The people of Rauma protested strongly, but the hit was accepted after a video review challenged by Luko.
– I think there was contact, but I trust the judges when they went to see the situation on video.
Lukko plays in Pori on Friday and Ässät comes to Äijänsuo on Saturday.
– A pretty great weekend is coming. A good cabin in both halls, so I’m looking forward to it.