ARCHIVE PHOTO.
VIK took a long-awaited victory against a team from the top half after a strong turnaround from 0-2 to win 4-3 at home against AIK on Friday night.
But it was very much AIK in the first half of the match. Korhonen was good in the first period when AIK had many chances (9-4 in 5-on-5 play). However, Hayhurst had one in the crossbar in the PP.
Winger Elias Ekström, on loan from Örebro, also had a bit of a tough time at the beginning and came in between on offensive blue, but Korhonen also took the free position.
Fair enough in the end 0-1 after Rosdahl didn’t lay tight enough on his old man and Sjögren probably looked at the puck a bit when it rattled into the net at the end of the first period.
Big game advantage AIK also initially on others but VIK started to show spark with physical play, including two solid chest warmers by Rosdahl which slowly but surely woke up VIK.
Jansson took a perhaps overheated interference, at the same time good that the defenders try to box out and are on the border. 0-2 in PP since Malmström, who really had a tough start to the evening, was not awake at all when Pooley skillfully found Tärnström’s blade. There, a defensive back like Malmström must be more switched on.
However, VIK came more and more and so nimble center Svante Sjödin, perhaps the best on the field, was behind both the reduction and the equaliser:
1-2 via hard work plus finesse by Sjödin and Kvist where the former also showed good feeling and found Jakobsson clean.
2-2 after new bravado by Sjödin, tough work by Jakobsson and puck-triling by Hayhurst and Jansson succumbed to a powerful shot by the so skilled Fransén. Despite a lot of puck AIK 4-2 chances to VIK in game 5-on-5 in the second period if I counted correctly.
The third started with good chances, including for Rosdahl, but new barriers. Lyckåsen was perhaps a little careless with the stick when he tripped Bagenda. 2-3 in PP then, among other things, Folin got his back completely wrong against Åkerström, who got all the surface to ride and aim. The defensive backs made a few but costly mistakes tonight…
But VIK actually dominated the rest of the period, fueled by the fine support from VIK Support. Jakobsson served chance for excellent Sjödin.
The fringe continued to shine but burned mode. The fine play paid off when an otherwise suspected half-injured Komarek ripped and finessed a puck to Rosdahl, who had eyes in the back of his neck and elegantly freed Ekström, who made it 3-3.
Norberg then fixed a PP. After a draw win by Kvist (who is actually 56 percent in the draw after many off years), Fransén, Hayhurst and Lyckåsen again showed their excellent PP ability to move the puck quickly and precisely (those two are the key words).
Hayhurst then found Engstrand who finally got the best possible reward for his improved and cleaned up game of late with a match-winning delicacy to make it 4-3. In the end, VIK had more chances after good stuff from Rosdahl, who really lit up after the fact this evening.
Jakobsson had another chance and VIK really pleased the crowd who, after many tearful home matches, got to cheer and be happy in the moment.
SUMMARY
Could this be the night when things turned a bit and the spark in and around VIK was lit? Perhaps it could be so. For, it was a most impressive turnaround against a strong AIK.
VIK won the chances 18-14 in 5-on-5 play. The victory was thus not unfair. After AIK dominated the first period and initially in the second, VIK won the last 40 chances with a full 14-5 according to my notes.
Eric Karlsson or someone must have said something very inflammatory in the first period break, because in the second VIK came out snorting, but only with a certain delay in the period. Previously uneven players like Lyckåsen (9-2 in NP) and Rosdahl (10-2) played their best matches so far in VIK, also much more physical tonight.
This is how this vintage of VIK must play. This Yellow and Black will rarely have more talent than the teams from the top half. Then the recipe every night must be to tackle and play the hardest. The simple is usually the most ingenious.
Then it’s not that simple, after all, that it’s just fighting and tackling. It is important to have clarity so that everyone goes in the right positions. This means that the person who tackles a puck gets a reliever who retrieves the pulley. But maybe Karlsson is about to set it so there will be greater clarity and security?
But there is also some talent, such as in Svante Sjödin. #46 was the best with a whopping 11-0 in NP, +2 and several goal-scoring preparations. That combination of lightning speed, hard work and an increasingly offensive feeling will be exciting to follow.
The equation is based on one of the three young centers Zether, Kant and Sjödin taking a step and becoming a sharp second center. And last night Sjödin was really at least a good second center at a high HA level.
It is also promising that Zether (5-0 in NP) seems to be starting to take center stage. #41 was again effective after his strong performance in Vimmerby, but this time against a much better AIK. Zether has started to collect some points after some tasty performances.
Örebro loan Elias Ekström started anonymously and was treading water, but like the whole team came more. Important for self-confidence, which according to information is down after a long scoring drought in Örebro, that Rikard’s nephew found the net after delicate preparatory work by Rosdahl and Komarek.
Ekström scored 26 points in the SHL “almost from a fourth chain” in Örebro two seasons ago. This is how NA reporter David Hellsing described the winger to me before the game:
Playable, nice wrists. A playmaker. But also takes the hard work. Been rubbing shoulders with such a chain for many years in Örebro. So a little player and rough worker in the same package. But thin physically and weighs lightly in close combat. And has played completely without confidence since last season. So a good start is probably important for him in Västerås.
But it seems that Komarek is almost playing slightly injured, it really hampers the offensive in parts, “only” 5-1 in NP. At the same time, the center came a little more during the match and the second assist before 3-3 was a tasty combination of hard work and finesse signed #67.
Was this also perhaps the turning point for Rosdahl after a pale start in VIK? Eric Karlsson, perhaps better than previous coaches, can reach #92 regarding the fact that the winger must play as hard here as in the SHL to be effective.
Always fully ridden and enterprising Hayhurst continued to set the tone with a whopping 9-2 in NP again. The Canadian’s two new assists this evening means that it is only three points up to the points league lead, but tight there at the top and right now #15 is in 16th place in the total points league, but can increase if the whole of VIK wakes up.
I have praised Engstrand quite steadily lately after having cleaned up his game significantly, and got to crown a series of fine matches with a match-winning delicacy. Maybe it can make #29 let loose a little more in the end?
Kvist was also back in his ice-winning high-intensity hockey. The increased competition, from almost zero, after Ekström’s entry is as useful as it always is. Now even Hammerer was not allowed to change, and Kangas had to sit on the bench. Sad for them in the moment, but so useful for the whole.
Lyckåsen also seems to have enjoyed listening to Karlsson sing more. #56 was markedly much more on in the physical game. In my book, this was clearly Lyckåsen’s best match in VIK with a full 9-2 in NP as the best back last night.
In the back position, the enormously talented Fransén was once again delighted, who sometimes offers numbers that make one wonder with his combination of size, mobility and playing skill. Feels like a future NHL back in a few years.
Otherwise, a good part to start in the new Karlsson-VIK: Get started. It seems to be VIK’s melody.
Now the questions are if VIK can play this physically every night, when the team will get 60 full minutes against top teams and if this was a bit of a turning point for some offensive plays? But one thing and one day at a time. You have to enjoy the moment in life.
PUCKLIGAN
5 Svante Sjödin
4 Albert Lyckåsen
3 Kim Rosdahl
2 Noel Fransén
1 Jacob Hayhurst
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Finally, my daughter promised to publish her proud work:
