Joni Tuulola shot the puck into the ankle of head referee Joonas Kova.
Tappara’s battle for the Finnish championship started with a bang. The team lost the first final 2–4.
The match was played in the Nokia Arena, where there were only 10,349 spectators, so the arena was nowhere near sold out.
Defender Joni Tuulola didn’t explain the loss in any bigger way.
– We started the game very well. In the second set, our reaction game on the defensive end was exhausted and as a result it seemed that KooKoo was always ahead of the kick.
Finland struck
23-year-old Jimi Suomi (on ice) scored one of the best goals of the season in the opening final. JUSSI SAARENEN
KooKoo scored two goals in the second set, of which Jimi Suomen’s hit can easily be named among the most beautiful hits of the league season.
Tuulola of the second knee could not find the real reason for Tappara’s loss in the second set.
– If I could answer that correctly, something would probably have been changed. This kind of thing is usually because the thought and focus on small winning things such as defense and such disappears a little.
Was this a wake-up call for Tappara that you don’t walk into the Finnish championship with your hands in your pockets?
– We did prepare hard for this series. Here are the two best teams in Finland at the moment facing each other and it is no coincidence for either of them that we are here. It was known that this would be a tough series.
The referee to the ankle
Chief referee Joonas Kova held his ankle in the Nokia Arena after Joni Tuulola’s shot. JUSSI SAARENEN
Tuulola shot the puck hard by the head referee in the opening set Joonas Kovan ankle. Kova blew for a long time before he could continue the game.
– I tried to use a hybrid in it [pitkää kiekkoa] Haapalan to Henka. Greetings to Joonas, it was not intended to break his ankles, Tuulola acknowledged.
Tuulola went to apologize to the referee right after the break.
KooKoon’s Robert Rooba is the bully of Tappara’s pack. JUSSI SAARENEN
KooKoo has surprised Finland following the puck throughout the season. The team was second in the regular season, only two points less than Tapparaa.
The team’s surprises continue. KooKoo is playing in the League final for the first time in its history, and the team is not there as a tourist.
– KooKoo was just as good as expected. Yes, this will make for a great final series, this was only the first game. The journey is in progress, Tuulola reminded.
KooKoo won the shots in the first final 33–22.
The final series continues on Monday in Kouvola. The Finnish champion will be known by Wednesday, May 13 at the latest.
