Goalkeeper Roope Taponen and forward Iiro Pakarinen were HIFK’s heroes when HIFK defeated Luko 1–0 in overtime and took a 2–0 lead in the quarterfinals.
Gamesaver! HIFK keeper Roope Taponen saves Luko’s Julius Mattila’s shot. Matti Raivio / AOP
At the opening of the match series on Saturday in Rauma, Lukko won the shots 74–34, but HIFK took the first tie of the best-of-seven series with 4–1 goals.
Including the regular season, Lukko had only scored one goal in each of his six previous matches, and the losing streak was five matches long.
Artyom Zagidulin thanks to the brilliant goalkeeping, even that one goal would have been enough, but even that didn’t come when the sensation of the season Roope Taponen kept HIFK clean.
Luko’s goal-scoring streak, which is already reaching incredible proportions, did not slow down in Helsinki either. Josh Kestner immediately shot into the post in the second minute, and in the second set Julius Mattila at the end of a 2–1 attack, did not get a couple of meter pucks into an almost empty goal. Of course, Taponen’s wonderful mattress defense played a part in the matter.
– I played the situation wrong, Taponen said self-critically.
– I set out to challenge the puck too much, he pointed out Henri Ikosen.
– Then there was a rush for another guy. When the skates are already in your pants, then you just have to throw something on the road. This time it happened, the 22-year-old molar, who is having a fantastic breakthrough season, rejoiced.
Taponen, who won the first League playoff match of his career last season, has now conceded only one goal in the first two quarter-final games.
– The whole season is spent trying to get to play these important games. One bounce here and there will do the trick. It’s nice to play these, I like it, he said.
Despite the almost non-existent playoff experience, Taponen’s punt does not start off the hook even in a tight spot.
– Sometimes it’s easier, sometimes it’s harder. Today was a difficult start to the game. Thoughts were here and there, but then I got together well.
– The second round was the easiest for me mentally, Taponen said surprisingly.
– I have no other goal than to always give the team a chance to win. Today we bounced, and we deserved it.
There were places
The beginning of the opening set and the end of the second set were typical of Lukko, but in between HIFK dominated the game and pressed long attacks to the end of the Rauma team.
The same level of efficiency in the synthetic areas as on Saturday was not found in the people of Helsinki. In the second round Artyom Zagidul kept the Romanians up by repelling, among other things Julius Nättinen tulinen kudi from the first sector as well as Roni Hirvonen at the end of the company’s 3-1 attack.
In an even final set, Hirvonen in turn hit Luko’s goal post.
Pakarinen hit
The solution came in the first overtime. Juha Jääskä brought the puck into the visitors’ defensive zone while Iiro Pakarinen was following in the back man position. Luko’s defenders got the puck away from Jääskä, but Pakarinen was able to shoot the loose puck behind Zagidulin, when Luko’s forwards’ back hair was non-existent.
– I was walking towards it, and I happened to go in, Pakarinen summed up his feat.
The 31-year-old Olympic champion, who has plenty of KHL experience, scored 19+17=36, the record performance of his league career in the regular season.
Especially since the turn of the year, Pakarinen has been in a terrible state. Even now, including the Main Series, he is on a three-match scoring streak, and he has scored nine goals in the last nine games.
– It’s hard to say any single thing. You get that self-confidence from somewhere, and the snowball starts rolling, Pakarinen said about his performance.
He also thanked his chain friends Jääskä and Kristian from Vesa.
– I have found good chemistry with them, and it has helped my own game as well.
Pakarinen is playing the best bat of his career right now.
– Maybe it will be at least one such season, I’ve rarely had such a season. Let’s just let it go and not think too much, after all, we’re playing for wins here. In that sense, it doesn’t matter who scores those goals, as long as someone does.
– This is the best time for a hockey player, Pakarinen smiled.