Sami Hoffréni’s comment: Aleksander Barkov messed up the Nokia arena – what has happened to Miro Heiskanen?

Tampere

Dallas-Florida 4-6

Of everything saw that the NHL circus had come to town.

Tampere train station was already full of NHL fans seven hours before the h-moment. There were plenty of Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers jerseys at the station and downtown.

Two hours before the opening match between Dallas and Florida, the yard of the Nokia Arena was already packed, as people queued in the freezing sleet. A Finn will not stand in line at the kökkökel without a good reason.

A free bucket can serve as a sufficient enticement in borderline cases, but in the field of sports entertainment, it is difficult to come up with another reason for similar queues than the NHL.

The NHL landing in Finland is a guaranteed way to print money. The NHL’s marketing machine knows how to put on a good show, and the people are ready to spend.

This time, there is exceptionally good coverage for the money, because similar NHL coverage has not been seen in Finland before.

Friday night the match was the tenth NHL match ever played in Finland.

Although the arrival of the NHL in Finland is always a special thing, the competitive level of the matches played in Finland has been, to put it mildly, variegated.

Two years ago, Tampere also saw a fresh Stanley Cup winner, when the Colorado Avalanche arrived to the amazement of the Finnish public.

In terms of level, the matches were not great spectacles, because at that time the opponent was the Columbus Blue Jackets, who belonged to the bottom of the NHL, which the Avalanche downright embarrassed in the bright lights of the Nokia Arena.

This time, the expectations for the weekend are significantly higher, because Dallas and Florida are the absolute top of the NHL. Both well-trained star sisters are among the champions’ favourites.

In the name of honesty, the first match was ultimately disappointing in terms of level, because the second bunch was a complete mess.

Alexander Barkov With a (1+3) lead, the Panthers hit the counter with a clinical 6–4 winning performance, but the anemic Stars were far from their best. Had you taken a few too many during the past week?

For entertainment and in the name of courting the Finnish public, all Finns of both teams (seven in total) were named to the starting pitch.

Panthers champion coach Paul Maurice however, it was immediately apparent in the handshake what the Tampere matches are all about. There are four important points from Friday and Saturday’s matches.

When the puck bounced into the nets after 15 seconds of play, Maurice reacted by switching Anton Lundelin and Eetu Luostarinen gone and replaced by Barkov’s right piers, Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues.

From the start that followed, Reinhart took the win Roope from Hintzand three seconds later the puck was in the Dallas goal. In the situation Miro Heiskanen fell asleep and Rodrigues directed the opening goal in front of the Finnish star’s nose.

When Barkov gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead with a nice shot and the red-hot Lundell later scored a 3-1 goal in the opening set, you knew the outcome. The Panthers have not lost a game in the early season when they have led after the opening set (now 5–0).

Dominant The champion Panthers bluntly showed the locker room on Friday.

The Panthers’ top individuals, led by Barkov and Reinhart (2+1), were the center of the rink and led the march.

The same cannot be said about Dallas’ counterparts, even though the team embellished the readings at the end. The number one center Hintz (-1) and the number one defender Heiskanen (-1) wandered completely in the lands of shadows on Friday evening.

Heiskanen’s early season in particular has been confusing to watch. Suomalaištahti’s early season has been very slow (10 matches, 0+3).

The team’s superior number one defender must bear more responsibility also in the direction of attack. Playing along with the crowd doesn’t drag on.

In terms of overall entertainment, Finnish fans certainly got what they wanted on the opening night at the Nokia Arena.

From the point of view of Finnish fans, the match was a rare treat, because in addition to Barkov, the best player on the rink, and Lundell, who plays cannonball, Dallas’ defender Esa Lindell (1+1) waved the goal net.

To crown the Finnish goal celebrations, the people got to pamper themselves one more time The Glider In -classic rally with one stoppage. What else does a Finnish hockey fan need?