Kasperi Kapanen has been the Lions’ best player in their World Cup debut, writes Ville Touro.
Tampere
The first three matches of the Lions’ World Cup opening group have been played, as well as the toughest matches to advance. It’s high time for interim financial statements.
And what a surprise it reveals.
The Lions’ best player so far has been 26-year-old Kasperi Kapanen of the Triple Crown.
I can honestly admit that at the end of the Czech EHT tournament before the World Championships, I had doubts whether Kapanen would even fit into the full team.
How reluctant, arrogant and frustrated Kapanen was in the preparatory matches. He was the direct opposite of everything Jukka Jalonen Legionnaires had represented in recent years.
Has Jalonen given Kappenen a tough talk or what has happened, but Tampere WC saw a completely different man on the ice.
Kapanen spoke at the start of the Games about his wishes for the screen and how “a lot of rubbish has been said about them in recent years”.
Kapanen’s play on the rink looks exactly like he wants to show that he really is a player. He has shown it at the start of the tournament.
Kasperi Kapanen has performed decisively in Tampere – both on and off the rink. Photo: Kalle Parkkinen / Lehtikuva
In North America, the term effort would be used.
In Finnish hockey terminology, it means hard work, fighting, hunger and playing conditions to the end.
Many of the Legionnaires have flashed from time to time in the beginning of games, but Kapanen has been consistently at the center of the game.
He has left no stone unturned. Kapnen runs greedily through the conditions, steals catches and is constantly putting pressure on the opponent. There is no information about any disturbance.
After three matches, Kapanen’s power balance is “only” 0+2, but this does not tell half of the overall picture.
In the match against Germany, Kapanen almost single-handedly set up the Lions’ most important goal of the match, a 2–2 tie, when Germany seemed to be pushing Finland into chaos.
In the match against Sweden, the Lions’ only goal came when Kapanen began to dart from behind the defense with his dashing movement. This confused Sweden’s tight five and seconds later Juho Lamikko slotted the puck in from the goal line.
Although it seems far from Kapse that he has decided to show skepticism at the World Cup, he will do it on the team’s terms.
Kapanen does not try to forcefully hold the puck and contribute his own power points, but promotes team play with his solutions.
Kapenen still isn’t a game-making passer, but his full strength is his explosive speed. He is one of the best in the world at it.
When Kapenan is at the center of his game, Legion has a special weapon that can solve matches with its individual special skills. Kapanen’s quick strikes along the wing or behind the backs of defenders is a factor that easily confuses tight five-man defences.
In terms of his explosiveness, Kapanen is one of the fastest skaters in the entire puck world. His father, Sami, once won the fastest skater contest at the NHL All-Star Game. Photo: Kale Koponen / HS
Kapanen didn’t come to the World Cup to take it easy with the NHL status quo and “get over” his military service.
He has clearly come to prove his mettle. And Kapse is enough to prove it in every direction.
First, Kapanen is not an NHL star, although such a term may sometimes be used for any NHL player. The Pittsburgh Penguins signed Kapanen off their team for free in late February, and his entire future in the NHL has been a big question mark for the past few years.
Kapanen often seemed like a player who would have the gift and ability to be a better player than he showed on the rink.
Perhaps Kapenen has now realized that there aren’t endless opportunities to waste.
