The third match of the series looked very much like the culmination point, writes Riku Isokoski from Tampere.
Roope Taponen had to surrender three times right in the opening set. Mika Kylmäniemi / AOP
Since we are in Tampere, a reference to Kummeli is appropriate.
The third semi-final match between Tappara and HIFK was a back-and-forth. That’s how crushing Tappara was, even though the final result was “only” 5–2.
Tappara was surprisingly strong, although you could expect a level up for the matches played in Helsinki. Right from the opening minutes, Tappara showed that it now sets the pace perfectly.
The most disturbing thing is here: Tappara won the match by shots 68–22. A senseless difference at this point through.
The opening goal of the match showed a lot – first, Tappara wore down HIFK’s puck with his long attack, and from the following long puck, Tappara’s Joni Tuulola waved the net.
Landslides were practically continuous. Except for the end of the match, HIFK did not get their offensive game going properly at any point, and it was also very undisciplined.
The foray into complete dominance of Tappara surprised me, because in Helsinki HIFK was able to meet the demands of the fight. There was no information about this in Tampere anymore.
Of course, bad luck also explains HIFK’s stomach ache.
The fall of Eetu Koivistoinen just before the match had a decisive effect on the play of HIFK’s first team. The difference was huge, when 19-year-old Aleksanteri Kaskimäki played instead of a national team-level man in the first center position.
In addition to Koivistoinen, HIFK has a lot of other key players on the sidelines. With the crew on the ice on Wednesday, HIFK has no chance of beating Tapparaa four times.
The third match of the series looked very much like the culmination point. The Nokia Arena has been a house of horrors for HIFK, and Wednesday’s thrashing could decisively destroy the self-confidence of the people of Helsinki.
Tappara, on the other hand, gave a fierce storm warning. As an individual match, the third semi-final could even be one of the best in the club’s history.
It says a lot when it is the most successful club in the SM league.