IN THE PICTURE: <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2024/10/reviving-vik-strategies-to-reignite-passion-and-performance-amidst-budget-challenges/" title="Reviving VIK: Strategies to Reignite Passion and Performance Amidst Budget Challenges”>Jacob Hayhurst, as usual, one of the best against AIK, but even the Canadian has difficulty shooting from distance. PHOTO: Jimmy Gerdin, VIK.se
As usual, the opposition was more effective all over the ice and more skilled in the end as VIK also fell against AIK after penalties with 5-4 on Friday evening. This despite the fact that VIK had good energy and created more than AIK.
Again a very bad start for this VIK, which has desperately struggled to get 60 minutes of ice hockey playing together, but good last 40. Far too scrappy in 5-5 in the first with 6-3 chances AIK.
Started right away with a suspicious foul tackle by Folin who fluttered along the edge (sometimes maybe a motivation problem there almost?) which Ekström fumbled with and 1-0. Folin also sent off, the veteran would however play himself up and ignite afterwards. Older men are perhaps slower at the start?
However, Hayhurst was one of the few lights initially and worked his way up a chance for Lyckåsen. Hayhurst and Zether nice preliminary work to Gradin, but another miss.
Kvist fixed PP. Good speed on the puck in PP and high-class preparatory work Komarek and Ekström almost gave an open goal and then Rosdahl could not miss and 1-1.
However, immediately 2-1 after passive play fourth and unlucky bounce on Norberg gave 2-1.
Flood pushed away high but Korhonen saved the 2-on-1. Very good preparatory work by Rosdahl and Ekström gave way to Komarek. But more must rise.
All the better VIK in the 2nd and 3-3 before the last after 10-6 chances for VIK in 5-5. However, it started with AIK creating the most in the second, Fransén pushing away high. 2-2 on the first chance in the 2nd after good preparatory work by Hayhurst and Flood when Gradin finally netted on a rebound.
After the goal, VIK started and chance for Jansson. Flood gave Jakobsson a half free. Kant fixed a PP, but pale and careless Rosdahl. Flood relatively unnecessary expulsion.
Folin played himself up and several good long passes, which among other things gave Jakobsson a chance.
Rosdahl and Fransén appeared for Komarek. Sjögren suspected shot in the ribs. 3-2 then Kant missed on his own blue when the defenders were gone.
But VIK continued pumping with good energy and Komarek involved with a chance and also served Rosdahl a good position.
Lyckåsen also created. Fair 3-3 after good play Flood, leaking joint of Zether to tonight supreme Hayhurst who was ice cold and tricked down his back and found the gap between the leg guards after 39.40. As I said, good energy in others.
VIK was also good in the last period and won the chances in 5-on-5 there with 5-1. The period began with Komarek missing a great chance. AIK created almost nothing in the third, but still 4-3 after an unfortunate bounce on Ekström that completely set up Korhonen.
Too eager Jansson continued to take unnecessary shots when no one had time to hide, here Karlsson has to talk to the defender as you can’t afford to throw chances away.
An otherwise excellent Hayhurst sloppy and dangerously backwards. 4-4 after another brilliant forecheck by Sjögren, good work by Sjödin as Fransén shot quickly and smartly so that Sjögren could control the pulley.
VIK deserved the victory as Zether had a dangerous control. Komarek shone with a brilliant half-lob to Hayhurst, but again too poor shooting a bit from distance straight over. VIK has almost no player who can shoot from a short distance from outside, unfortunately.
In overtime, Hayhurst again burned a good position a bit from outside, then AIK created the most when Korhonen was good.
During the penalties, Zetterberg and Pooley classes showed better shooting and determination as Rosdahl and Hayhurst were sluggish and didn’t seem to know how to hit theirs.
Extremely strange that Komarek didn’t get to score VIK’s first penalty, as #67 is almost the only one in the team who can shoot controlled with precision, among almost all other yellow-black wobbly bat shot goblins so far.
SUMMARY
Eric Karlsson has now scored in all four of his games and there is a different energy in the team. The team also creates perfectly okay situations. After a bad first period, VIK won the chances big in the last 40, the chances were 3-6, 10-6 in the second and 5-1 in the last.
So 18-13 (58-42%) in created chances for VIK away against AIK. It’s good and so much more that no coach can squeeze out of this group. But the coach can’t also shoot for the players.
The tendency for VIK to start the matches poorly and then grow continued, the question is what causes it. VIK’s fate lies in players like Gradin, Rosdahl and others suddenly showing that they can also shoot in from distance, and not just score in an almost open box like last night.
Goal shooting has started to surface as a big problem, and there is hardly any money to sign in players who can shoot – they don’t grow on trees. Who will step forward as goalscorers from distance? You have to have some distance shooting in ice hockey as well.
Then it’s just that Korhonen, even if you can partly blame the defense, has so far been a very average goalkeeper with a weak 88.4 save percentage, which is almost the bottom in the league. Unfortunately, it is too rare for the Finn to win games for VIK. The save percentage rarely, over time, lies too much.
But Korhonen is young and can maybe grow a level during the season, and he also has to do that for VIK to lift and grow. Then VIK has again ended up in a perhaps vicious circle as Korhonen seems to be left with everything as they don’t seem to trust Hanneborg yet. It is also not good in this so far fragile team building.
However, gratifying that Komarek (11-0 in NP) and Hayhurst (11-2) really led VIK and they are, as we know, two clear tips that create. However, it’s a shame that Hayhurst doesn’t seem that good at distance shooting or direct shots either.
Malte Sjögren (9-0) was back in top form as a forechecking plague and also a scorer.
Regarding energy level, it is hard to complain as this VIK is struggling. Since I complained a bit about Jakobsson being comfortable in front of the box, even #27 has really raised his energy under Eric Karlsson, which several have done.
Even Lyckåsen has also lifted a bit in terms of energy under Karlsson. So you can’t complain about the fighting effort.
The VIK fans can hope that this struggling VIK somehow finds more offensive edge, a little better defensive and goalkeeping play and above all distance shooting from the existing squad. Eric Karlsson probably also needs to be a magician to bring it out.
Defensively, I think VIK have become more alert under Karlsson, hats off to that.
But the wisest thing for us on the side is probably to have very reasonable expectations that this blunt, but fighting, VIK fights its way to at least a tenth place and thus play-in.
Otherwise, it will probably be difficult to follow the team if we have higher expectations than that. This as the team really lacks, among other things, shooters.
PUCKLIGAN
5 Konstantin Republic
4 Malte Sjögren
3 Jacob Hayhurst
2 Noel Fransén
1 Svante Sjödin
