HIFK performed well in the home opener of the season and defeated HPK 4–1.
HIFK’s Olli Palola knows how to be where goals are scored. The HPK players in the picture are Palola’s teammate from last season, Miro Karjalainen, and goalkeeper Daniel Lebedeff. Matti Raivio / AOP
In addition to the victory, HIFK’s joys included a handsome audience of 7,875. It is a good thousand more than the club’s budgeted (6,800) and just as much more than the last comparison point before the corona: the autumn 2019 home opener against JYP drew 6,811 spectators to the stands of Nordis.
– After all these times, such a start to the season, HIFK’s head coach Ville Peltonen marveled, referring to the (hopefully) left-behind audience restrictions.
– The audience was great with it, and we’ll take the win again. A good performance in many respects, he praised, mentioning the goalkeeper Niilo Halonen mixed Miro Väänänen led by the four chain.
– It made a good dune and emerged in the third.
When Olli Palola first had translated HPK Michael Jolyn completed the away lead with two hits, Nelonen scored two more goals. As goal scorers, those better known as roughnecks and dunners excelled Micke-Max Åsten and Otto Karvinen.
The return of Melart
HIFK’s Ilari Melart got hit at the beginning of the game and played the rest of the match with a full mask to protect his face. Also in the picture is HPK’s Mathias Trettenes. Matti Raivio / AOP
Among HIFK’s new acquisitions, the most featured was the one who returned to his home club after a nine-year world tour Ilari Melart.
At the beginning of his career, the Jykevä defender, known as the team’s policeman and “retriever”, surprised many spectators with his puck skills. Development has taken place in the AHL, KHL, SHL and DEL years.
– Melart has come out well. He played really well and hit hard, Peltonen praised.
In the second season, Melart won the Swedish championship in the ranks of Växjö and with 12 hits was second in the SHL defensemen’s goal exchange. The big man nimbly rotates HIFK’s number one advantage from the blue line.
– Of course, the result was expected from the superior force, but it didn’t come today, Peltonen stated.
There was no lack of opportunities for HIFK, when in addition to four second places, it was able to grind out a five-minute superiority. That’s what it got when HPK Eetu Liukas went to the shower after a counterattack aimed at the head. Victimized Otto Paajanen luckily not injured.
Confidence
Referee Palola was naturally in a good mood after the game.
– Above all, it’s a win that warms up here, but of course it brings self-confidence when the season starts with a couple of goals. You always have to dig for that self-confidence from somewhere, and these are good boosters, Palola smiled.
HIFK suffered three defeats in their last four training games and were kept clean in all of them. However, the magic button was found at the beginning of the league season, and the net started to swing in the opponent’s end.
According to Palola, the team didn’t have time to worry about the ineffectiveness of the training games – they weren’t real games yet.
– Yes, it’s true that this is the start of the series. What’s better than this after the summer, when the cabin is almost full and the mood is good. It’s so different playing these, and you get more out of yourself than in training games.
Dusted off
Palola, 34, is the league’s two-time top scorer. The titles came in the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons, when he represented Tappara.
Now Keuruu Pallon has grown up playing for the second year in HIFK. In Rikkoina’s last season, he only played 37 matches, compared to which 14 goals was quite a decent amount.
– It looked like everything, but those dusts have been wiped out of my mind. Let’s hope I can have a better season now.
So let’s improve on last season?
– It is the number one priority to get many more games.
Palola doesn’t start to threaten with the number of goals, but those who have followed league hockey in the last decade know that he has the ability to score goals in a pinch. It will be interesting to see where his flying start will take him this season.
– “Opa” is an iron professional and an important player for us, Peltonen said.
– He works a lot and brings us fighting strength. He also has enough composure to finish in a tight spot.
Tappara test
HIFK’s games continue on Thursday as the guest of reigning champion Tappara. It is the most possible test for Stadi’s reds right away.
– It’s great to be able to play in Nokia Arena, when I didn’t have time to play there last season. Let’s see how bright the lights are there.
Playing against his old club ignites.
– Yes, playing against Tappara is always exciting. It’s a top team, and we still need to improve in order to get points from there.