IS’s board is lobbying for a meeting between the Lions and Sweden. Sweden won 2–1 on penalties.
Radis joins Sami Hofren, Teemu Suvinen and Ville Touro, who follow the world championships at the site.
Sami Hofren
hero of the night
Sweden has been the most lion-like team in the World Cup so far. The Sam Hallam-led side haven’t particularly shone, but a disciplined and self-sacrificing five-man defense is the cornerstone of their way of playing. Trey Kroner’s goal difference after three games is a dreary 7-1.
Is Sweden the new Finland? Photo: Seppo Karki / IS
it worked
Despite the loss, Lizonat played his best game of the entire tournament. In the beginning of the match, once again, Legionnaire caught the rhythm of the game. Legionat controlled the puck and was able to make attacks determined for “downs”. In a game without the puck, the Lions were able to shake Sweden with a tough tackling game.
it went in the notebook
The winning Lions failed to reach the goal post. LegionNet was able to produce a sufficient number of high-quality plots, but had a low level of inefficiency. Playing in special conditions didn’t help. The Lions’ dominance game was a formulaic massage. The puck swings around in good shape, but the final “killer blow” is exhausting.
Now let me explain…
A Swedish fan caught my eye in the lower section. A Trey Croner fan in a yellow shirt sat in his supreme solitude among the “lucky” people, that is, guests at a trade fair in the HVAC industry. What was the pattern behind it, that the Swedish man was under so much pressure?
The Swedish supporter represented the middle of the blue and white sea. Photo: Seppo Karki / IS
The last sentence
Coming to the results, the Lions tournament has started with a few hiccups but the game has slowly developed. In the match against Sweden, Lijonat fell purely because of his inability to score. In the following games against weaker nations, the Lions team gets a chance to shore up the numbers.
Teemu Suvinen
hero of the night
Lars Johansson, Sweden’s legendary goalkeeper, is 35 years old. He served as the last lock for Trey Kronor behind a patient five-man defense. So far Sweden has scored only one goal in regular time in this tournament. That says a lot. Johansson, representing Frölunda, has saved two of Sweden’s three matches.
it worked
Kasperi Kapanen was once again in an excellent position. He has had a reputation as a player who makes wrong and unwise decisions, but that kind of Kappa has not been seen on the ice of the Nokia Arena. In contrast, Kapanen does not take unnecessary risks and consistently makes the right choices. He drops back, tackles and recovers the puck if necessary. And challenges the opponents fiercely.
it went in the notebook
At the Nokia Arena, an annoying announcement is repeated at the beginning of each set, reminding spectators of safety measures. Follow the play, watch for pucks flying into the stands and smartly return the puck to marshals if necessary. Safety is important, but the litany goes on too long. It hides the incentive and kills the atmosphere. Less would certainly suffice. There was no such harrowing announcement last spring.
Now let me explain…
Has the International Ice Hockey Federation changed its rule interpretations? In the current World Cup tournament, you can do rags like in the 90s. It’s okay to fight hard, but it’s not okay to go slow with the clubs. Hockey should not be taken in this direction.
The last sentence
Emile Larmy played a solid match and firmly held on to the position of Legion’s first keeper, even though he was not at his best in the penalty shootout. There are only matches left in the preliminary group against smaller nations, so barring a miracle, Laramie will be the Lions’ goalkeeper in the quarterfinals.
Emile Larmee is the Lions’ starting goaltender. Photo: Seppo Karki / IS
city tour
hero of the night
Emil Larmi claimed the plot for Finland’s number one goalkeeper. If a miracle doesn’t happen, Laramie will start between the posts in the quarterfinals. He was strong against both USA and Sweden. The remaining four group games hardly have special metrics for goalkeepers when so few shots can be expected.
it worked
Kasperi Kapanen It just works. Kapanen’s contribution at the start of the tournament has been a positive surprise, as expectations from him were not too high, at least in my opinion. Also in the Sweden match, Kappenen scored Finland’s only goal and was at the heart of the game in almost every change.
Kasperi Kapanen has excelled on the World Cup ice. Photo: Kale Koponen / HS
it went in the notebook
Mikko Rantanen has played a set in three matches so far (the third set of Germany’s game) at the level expected of him. One may ask whether the expectations are too high from Rantas, but it is not. This man is truly one of the toughest superstars in the world and we can only expect much better from him.
Now let me explain…
So Ahti Oksanen is the Lions’ number one weapon against the tough guys?! The fourth series man not only started the penalty race, but after his goal he was forced to shoot again in the sixth position. What has really happened to weight training competitions in Finland?
Ahti Oksanen was surprisingly Finland’s number one choice in the weight competition. Photo: Tony Repo/Amulehti
The last sentence
If in Germany’s match the result was more important than the performance of the game in terms of the general spirit of the tournament, then in Sweden’s match the situation was the opposite. The most important thing for Legion was a good and intact game performance, as it was the last real benchmark of the group. Singh got it. Despite the loss, it was Finland’s most solid sporting performance to date after a mixed opening game, which will certainly give the team confidence in the next good game, ie next week’s quarter-finals.
