With a win in the opening game of the this home and home series already indisputably secured, HIFK could come in the game knowing that even a draw would secure them a semifinal round berth.
Apparently Jokerit had planned their tactics thinking that HIFK would play it safe and defend rigorously, but how wrong weren´t they ! HIFK had planned quite the opposite - active forechecking, heavy tackling and lots and lots of skating.
Already the first attack showed the capacity , 7980, crowd what was to come. Jokerit barely touched the puck before it was already in their net. Frederick, Nieminen and Tuomainen battled for the puck behind the Jokerit goal and outmastered the Jokerit defence, Nieminen finally flipped the puck to Tuomainen who lit the red lamp by walking around into the low front corner, 1-0 in 19 seconds. The crowd who already before the game supported their favourites in a manner not seen since last spring was ecstatic.
Jokerit were lost in the first period. Straight forward no nonsense offence led to the 2-0 mark. Sihvonen passed along the boards the puck to Mäkiaho parked on the Jokerit blue he (Mäkiaho) fed Laaksonen who got on a breakaway, faked Ketterer to the left and and put it in low on Ketterer´s gloveside for the tally.
Ketterer who had so miserably fumbled the decisive goal one week ago had history repeat itself on him. Ironically put Ketterer was so efficient that he should have been awarded 1+1 for the goal he CONCEDED. He lifted the puck from his crease directly to Rafalski´s stickblade on the blue, finally fumbling the loose shot in his own net.3-0.
During the first intermission there were a lot of happy HIFK supporters, but I´m sure none of them could imagine what was to come.
The second period was only 1.30 old when a HIFK rush led to a Jokerit´s Fredrik Nilsson closing the puck in his glove in their own crease. The ref had no choice - penaltyshot and 4-0 by Jan Caloun. Backup goalie Kumpula did not have a chance.
Then the catastrophy came. HIFK had to step down the pace several notches and started to play unconcentrated and nervy hockey. From time to time HIFK was totally outmastered by their opponents and goalie Lundell was almost as shaky as his opposing colleagues. With some help from sloppy defending and Lundell - Jokerit pulled back from a 0-4 score to finishing the second period at 4-4, scoring two in the last 90 seconds.
Were the misfortunes from earlier this season, losses in ot and on a last minute goal,repeat themselves ?
Fortunately not !, HIFK fought back, only less than 2 minutes had elapsed of the third when Mika Nieminen got the puck skated inside the blue a fired a shot that looked like nothing, but turned into a big fat goal as Kumpula deflected the shot from his glove into the Jokerit net. What a roar that resulted in, we still could win ! Markku Hurme´s 6-4 goal fed by Jan Caloun on a two on one rush, at roughly 15 minutes into the period proved decisive.
Jokerit immediately pulled their goalie and played with the extra man for almost five minutes. HIFK controlled the play, but where perhaps a bit to anxious not to make errors, so they didn´t score. They conceded one instead ! 6-5. With less than two minutes left on the clock Jokerit would have needed to score two more goals to take the game in to extratime - fat chance! With some 30 seconds left #44 Marko Tuomainen ended what he had started by putting home the 7-5 mark in the empty net.
A very good game that HIFK almost destroyed themselves. The problems lie in defence where the defensive defenders do not match the performances of last year´s stalwarts- at least not yet. We´ve got very good offensive defenders (Rafalski, Nikko), but our defensive defenders had a rough night especially Kultanen had a tough time coping with the quick Jokerit forwards. Siren was definitively to passive on Jokerits 3rd goal and Lydman kept the puck to much causing danger in the defensive zone.
Karalahti was good, in fact, very good compared to his performances the last month or so.
Offensively we had two very efficient lines today. Both Tuomainen-Nieminen-Frederick and Hurme-Borsato-Caloun were very good. For once I can´t blame anyone of the attackers of having a bad night. Surely there were a few errors, but they weigh light against the positive details of tonights game.
The sad part is Lundell. Surely he was better than his Jokerit colleagues, but only just. We need a goalie that can make those crucial saves Lundell is not doing regularly. There was surely a lot traffic in front of him on three of the five goals he conceded, but still ?
Scoring HIFK:
1-0 Tuomainen (Nieminen,Frederick)
2-0 Laaksonen (Sihvonen, Mäkiaho)
3-0 Rafalski
4-0 Caloun, penalty shot
5-4 Nieminen (Tuomainen)
6-4 Hurme (Caloun)
7-4 Tuomainen , empty net
Frederick-Nieminen-Tuomainen
Hurme-Borsato-Caloun
Laaksonen-Sihvonen-Mäkiaho
Kalto-Ahonen-Kuhta(Väisänen)
Nikko-Rafalski
Lydman-Karalahti
Kultanen-Siren
Rajala
Stars:
*** Tuomainen
** Nieminen
* Frederick