Ismo Lehkonen’s son Artturi Lehkonen fights in the ranks of the Colorado Avalanche for the Stanley Cup championship.
- Colorado defeated Nashville 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs, 4-2 in St. Louis and 4-0 in Edmonton in the third.
- Its final opponent comes from the pair New York Rangers – Tampa Bay Lightning, who will lead the latter 3–2.
If the Rangers meet, Colorado will be a big favorite in the finals. Against double champion Tampa, the situation would be smoother, but in Finnish Avs would be a big favorite. Unlike Lightning, it has Finnish players in its ranks.
– Players are all ordinary people and have similar pressures. They have been in the wrong place for three seasons, which has been one of the causes of stress, a hockey coach and expert Ismo Lehkonen recalls the busting of the Avs playoffs in the last three years for the second round.
– I dare say it was visible Rantasen in Mossa in the first two rounds. The pressure was so intense that it wasn’t that normal, relaxed Mikko. It appeared as a certain compression as well Nathan at MacKinnon.
– The first round went just fine, but Tokko came to St. Louis, which is a pretty good team. It saw quite clearly that when an opponent closes the hatches, the game goes a bit to force.
With the superstars still forcibly twisting, Colorado took a decisive fourth win Darren Helmin finish six seconds before the end of the third set.
– That second round bastard they had to tame, and when it worked out, I think it would release them a lot.
This was already evident in the conference finals against Edmonton. The Colorado offensive game was released and defeated the Oilers directly in four matches with a goal difference of 22-13.
Artturi Lehkonen’s overtime finish took him to the Colorado finals. Devon Toews (left) and Logan O’Connor were the first to congratulate. AOP / USA TODAY SPORTS
Pitfall
However, Lehkonen sees that there is also a pitfall in playing Colorado: a change of direction game.
– Even in the regular season, it always shone that they lack repeatability when the game turns to their own. As they set out to attack, they look around a bit, “Oh the game turned on its own, who’s going to defend”.
According to Lehkonen, this is the original sin of the team, despite the fact that the head coach Jared Bednar emphasizes the play of two directions.
– He’s been playing it to them all season. It has to be accompanied by two clicks before, and the feet have to go all the time. There must be no delays and the five will not stretch.
According to Lehkonen, the lack of repeatability was clearly evident in the opening match of the Oilers series, for example, when Avs fired the opponent’s 7-3 lead into the goal. Captain Gabriel Landeskog settled the thriller game with an 8-6 goal in the end.
– If you give the other a little chill, it will pound the whole hand.
Lehkonen believes the team has learned a lesson.
– At best, when the game turns on its own, they come in full five and turn the game in another direction again.
Unlike downward play, quick turns in the direction of attack are Avs ’great strength.
– That’s the best in the NHL.
A matter of pride
Ismo Lehkonen will watch the Stanley Cup finals on TV at home in the Turku archipelago. Vesa Parviainen
The Colorado Avalanche is still a relatively young team.
– It has prime time for another three to four years. There are more than half of the guys around the age of “Arsi”, Lehkonen refers to his 26-year-old son Artturi Lehkonenwhose extra time goal decided the final place.
Last year, Artturi did the same trick on a Montreal Canadiens shirt.
How proud is a puck father when the boy plays in the Stanley Cup finals again?
– The biggest pride is that Arsi is a team leader on top of the last one. He does up-and-down work, is tenacious and does not clot, Lehkonen replies.
– Of course it would be a dream to get to the end and lift up. Winning the Stanley Cup has been a clear goal for Ars since he was a child.