The hockey gold is at stake in the FM league’s final series between Tappara and Pelicans. Tappara opened the final series with a 5–1 victory at home. The decision came late in the second period.
Tappara player Kristian Tanus scored the first goal of the final series when, after 7.29, he got a hole in Pelicans and goalkeeper Patrik Bartosak.
Emotions ran hot. Pelican coach Tommi Niemelä challenged the verdict because he thought Bartosak got a club in the face. After video review, the 1-0 goal was still approved.
The Pelicans tied the game at 1-1 early in the second period. Defenseman Topias Vilén, who just turned 20, sneaked into an attack and pushed the puck in from close range. Vilén is on loan from the NHL club New Jersey Devils and has impressed in the playoffs. The balance of 14 games is now 3+4=7 points.
Guldhjälmarna Jori Lehterä and Lukas Jasek i en duell.
Bild: Newspaper photo / Kalle Parkkinen
Jori Lehterä, Lukáš Jašek
The decisive rycket came at the end of the second period when Tappara på three minutes went from 1–1 to 4–1. Goalkeepers: Veli-Matti Savinainen (36.55), Veli-Matti Vittasmäki (39.14) and Anton Levtchi (39.45).
Shortly before, just after the match had reached the halfway point (31.37), the Tapparat coach Jussi Tapola had taken a timeout as he was not satisfied with the team’s play.
Early in the third period (40.55), Otto Rauhala then extended the score to 5–1 and thus it was done and done. At the same time, the Pelicans’ goalkeeper changed when Patrik Bartosak threw in the towel and Jasper Patrikainen had to jump in.
Tappara won the match 5–1 and leads the finals series 1–0 in games.
Anton Mylläri and Topias Vilén led the Pelicans to a 1-1 draw.
Bild: Newspaper photo / Kalle Parkkinen
Topias Vilén, Anton Mylläri
Pelican goal scorer Vilén was not satisfied.
– These are ugly numbers, but they may not tell the whole truth, says Vilén till Yle Sports.
– In the second period we had an advantage for 17 minutes. In the end, we had the match ruined when the defense broke down and we incurred an unnecessary expulsion.
Match number two is played in Lahtis on Friday.
Results
Tappara–Pelicans 5–1 (1–0, 3–1, 1–0)
07.29 1–0 Kristian Tanus (Veli-Matti Savinainen, Mikael Seppälä)
21.46 1–1 Topias Vilén (Lenni Killinen, Iikka Kangasniemi)
36.55 2–1 Veli-Matti Savinainen (Valtteri Kemiläinen) PP
39.14 3–1 Veli-Matti Vittasmäki (Anton Levtchi, Joni Tuulola)
39.45 4–1 Marcus Davidsson (Casimir Jürgens, Niko Ojamäki)
40.55 5–1 Otto Rauhala (Petteri Puhakka, Waltteri Merelä)
Goalkeepers:
Christian Heljanko, TAP: 3+8+4=16
Patrik Bartosak, PEL: 11+3+0=14 (substitution 40.55)
Jasper Patrikainen, PEL: 0+0+4=4 (substitute 40.55)
Public: 11 904
Tappara leads 1–0 in matches.
