Rarely has HIFK racked up 7 PP goals, a shorthanded GA and 10 goals in a game. Blues can concentrate on composing or whatever they can do in order to attract spectators to their new Arena due for its inaugural game on Jan 28th - the hockey they displayed won´t sell tickets. Neither will just one win (vs. bottom team Kalpa) in their last 11 games boost their moral.
With the major reshuffle in the line-up ahead of the game one could feel there was something going to happen tonight, but we got to see the fireworks ! There wasn´t an area of the game HIFK wouldn´t have dominated. As somebody said: "Wonder what the next move is for the Blues management - the assistant coach sacking the managing director ? Something has to be done and soon !
Rebounds, rebounds and rebounds were the key to HIFK´s success and Blues´ agony. "If you don´t control your rebounds, your destiny - destiny will be behind you in the net !" would have been a good slogan for tonight as the game effectively was decided by the Blues not managing to clean up in front of the crease and Hurme, M.Ruutu, Sihvonen, Tuomainen all capitalising on big fat rebounds.
Obviously the game was over after it said 4-0 on the scoreboard after the first 20 minutes, but despite that the Blues continued to rack up PIM. They didn´t play dirty hockey they justed were a few steps behind all the time.
This wasn´t a test for HIFK, but some names have to mentioned: Lundell was solid despite three GA and to be honest he was lucky too: three hits in the posts, one crossbar and one puck sliding on the goalline. Rare (for HIFK), but deserved good luck. Marko Tuomainen played solid two way hockey and was rewarded scoring two, only his sixth and seventh of the season. Mikko Ruutu scored his 1st ever goal in the League as did also Joe Frederick who enjoyed playin alongside Mika Nieminen (lazy as always) and Tuomainen.
Caloun (1+4), as always, loved to play cat and mouse with the weak opponents and obviously both his linemates Hurme and Sihvonen scored PP goals. Kimmo Kuhta took advantage of the, rare commodity, ice-time and scored twice.
Defensively this was an easy game and in the third Rafalski, Nikko et Co played sparsely leaving a little bit too much to do for Doyle, Rajala and Siren. We would never have had three goals against if the top four defencemen would have played normal shifts. Everything has purpose, I guess.
Nice return to the chilly homerink after two in-a-row over at corporate hockey Mekkah. Next up Kalpa away and then the big second leg vs. Jokerit, this one cheered me up significantly. Thumbs up !
Frederick-Nieminen-Tuomainen
Hurme-Sihvonen-Caloun
Laaksonen-Kuhta-Mäkiaho
M.Ruutu-Kalto-Heiskanen(Väisänen)
Nikko-Rafalski
Lydman-Karalahti
Doyle-Siren
Rajala
Stars:
*** Tuomainen
** Caloun
* Frederick