TPS 3-5 Ilves. The Mikko Koivu Show, Cancelled.

Amazing game and at last 3 points, our first away from home all season!  This was the first Ilves game I’ve seen live since we beat Sport last season.  The odds were totally against us, the veikkaus betting had TPS as heavy favourites to win, with Ilves given no chance, it was TPS’ 90th birthday game and the teams lined up and welcomed some old TPS legends before the NHL superstar that is Mikko Koivu came out and joined his team wearing vintage white TPS shirts.  Ilves stand-in captain Ville Koistinen exchanged handshakes and an old framed picture of an Ilves – TPS game.

Erä.1  The home crowd were full of noise early on but it was us that h

ad all the early chances, 2 powerplays went by but shortly after we took the breakthrough, Lassi Kokkala (Keränen, Mäkinen) after 9:31.  Niko Peltola then went to the penalty box and just 1 second after he came out, Former Ilves player (and man I beat 2-0 in a Tampere football league game) Marko Anttila assisted Phoenix Coyotes’ Lauri Korpikoski on the equalising goal, the NHL affect already showing for the home team.

Erä.2 After a slow and even start we managed to score again half way through the period, Erkki Rajamäki (Sointu, Hovinen) scoring this time, 4 minutes after and things got even better as Teemu Huhtala (Peltola) put us 3-1 up. Then, wow.. 6 seconds later we score again! Matias Sointu made it 4-1 to Ilves and the young Danny Dries from the AHL assisted!  The Period ended with TPS’ Kris Russell taking a penalty, things were looking great for the win.

Erä.3 Ilves just needed to play safe and it would be an easy 3 points and that’s exactly how it went, up until 7 minutes to go, Mikko Koivu scores and the home crowd go crazy, Korpikoski assisting as the NHL power came to haunt Ilves, it was under a minute before Mikko Koivu scores once again and yep, Korpikoski assisting to make it 5 points for the NHL pair. Rajamäki took a penalty and Ilves looked like they were going to crumble, the Turku fans were all chanting Koivu’s name but we survived.  TPS took NHL goaltender Antero Niittymäki out and shortly after Ilves confirmed that all 3 points would be c

oming back to Tampere when Antti Kangasniemi (Korhonen, Niinimäki) scored into the empty net.

Great game, so glad I could watch it! One of the heroes of the game I haven’t mentioned was our own Ville Kolppanen who went 5+11+10=26 through the game, his opposite player Antero Niittymäki finished the game 8+13+6=27

We’re once again off the bottom of the league, 1 point ahead of TPS and 3 points behind Tappara.  Our next game is away to everyone’s favourite friendly bunch, Helsingin Jokerit The last in our 4 game away streak.

Kiitos Ilves!