TAMPERE – Tappara won their fourth game in a row in the CHL Group Stage on Sunday, beating Grizzlys Wolfsburg 4-2 on their home ice at Tampereen jäähalli. With the win, they have qualified for the Round of 16.
Tappara defenceman Mikko Lehtonen had one goal and one assist in the game.
"We got a win with a quite nice game on our part. We managed to be active especially in the early moments of the game," he said afterward.
The hard-shooting defenceman opened the scoring at 5:39 of the first period when he got a sweet pass from one of the most experienced guys on the team, Kristian Kuusela.
"Kuusela gave a nice pass to me at the blue line, where I was waiting my stick ready, as I usually do on the power play. You have to shoot to get those goals," the 23-year-old Turku native reasoned.
"This sport is going to be faster in the future. I like it because it’s more entertaining and a lot more happens on the ice."Mikko Lehtonen
One of the keys to Tappara's success is the team's strong corps of young defencemen, which includes Aleksi Elorinne, Valtteri Kemiläinen, Niko Mikkola, Otso Rantakari, Jere Rouhiainen, Aleksi Salonen and Veli-Matti Vittasmäki. None of them is over 27 and most of them have played or could potentially play for the Finnish national team. Lehtonen, who is new to the team this season, does not think it is an issue for a team that it is full of big-named stars.
"It is very cool to play with such guys," he said. "We have very talented players on both defence and offence. This is a good group."
Jukka Rautakorpi is Tappara's new head coach, but he has coached the team in the past and is known in Finland for a particular style of play. When Rautakorpi coached Tappara in the late 1990s and early 2000s, his game relied on tight neutral-zone trap.
"Tappara’s style of play has changed from the well-known trap to faster hockey," Lehtonen explained. "We still are improving our game and trying to avoid just standing in the neutral zone."
Despite the perfect start to the season, Lehtonen does not believe the team has reached its peak yet, and there are still parts of the team's game that need refining.
"You can always be better. The wins do not tell all about the effort. There are always things to improve even if the results are positive."
Next for all of the CHL teams will be the start of their domestic leagues, before finishing the Group Stage in early October. Tappara's two remaining games are both against Slovak champions HC05 Banská Bystrica. Lehtonen does not know much about their upcoming opponent.
"I have to confess, that team is a bit more mysterious to me. We might just have to go there and see what kind of team we're facing."
As for the rest of the group, both Wolfsburg and Red Bull Salzburg have been tough to beat, Lehtonen claims.
"The teams in the CHL all play very fast hockey, trying to get quickly across the neutral zone. The forwards try to steal time and space for their teams. This sport is going to be faster in the future. I like it because it’s more entertaining and a lot more happens on the ice."
Tappara has won two Finnish Liiga championships in a row, so they are used to being in the playoffs. The CHL is no different. The team is still going for gold.
"I am looking forward to achieving as much as we can as a team in the CHL. We will always play for the trophy."