Comment | HIFK’s chronic problem has become almost embarrassing – it has been saved from disaster by one young talent

Attack win games, defend championships.

You can have any opinion about the accuracy of this sports saying, but at least Helsinki IFK has not been able to make it a laughing stock in recent years.

The sports director started in November 2017 Tobias Salmelainen in the era, almost every IFK team has had a strong forward focus. Famous players have been used in the attack sometimes too much, but there have been few genuine reinforcements in the defense.

In recent weeks, the problem has escalated worse than perhaps ever before.

Due to injuries and suspensions, IFK has had to scrape together defenders from here and there: A-juniors, forwards, JYP’s surplus and Norway.

The result has been surprisingly fewer losses: at home 0–4 to Tappara, away 1–6 to Sport and most recently 1–3 to Jukurei.

Read more: The strangest style in the league, but the softest hands – Juhamatti Aaltonen made HIFK’s plight even worse

Having played in the ECHL and the Norwegian League in the early season “farmin farm”. Christian Kåsastulin the acquisition partly also reflects the current situation of the pike player market. The need for a defender was so acute that a player who seemed second-rate on paper had to qualify when there was nothing else available.

of IFK the saddest thing is that the problem is not temporary. Even with full manning, the defense is currently not comparable to the teams that IFK would like to compete with.

IFK currently seems to be a difficult place for players. Canceled his contract with the club in the fall Joonas Lyytinen has been like reborn in Timrå of the Swedish league. I feel like I’m at a similar impasse now Take Rantakari.

Ilari Melartin besides, there aren’t really any quality packs close to the top of their careers. From young people in the development stage, such as gifted From Otto Salini, you can’t expect the same high level from night to night. Kåsastuli or having been suspended for a long time by Johan Motin nor do basic Scandinavian brooms like these suddenly change.

The lack of skill on the puck is reflected in the boring offensive game, when the game tool from the blue line can mostly be returned back to the corner. Even with the upper hand, getting the puck into the offensive zone creates unreasonable difficulties.

On the other hand the situation could be even worse. IFK has been saved from an outright disaster by the fact that the youth Roope Taponen has managed to make his breakthrough at the league level and take over the position of the number one goalkeeper.

Originally planned as the number one guard Niilo Halonen, 24, the game is completely broken. On the other hand, Taponen, 21, has been downright brilliant in the early season, as evidenced by the average goals scored of 1.66 and save percentage of 91.8.

Thanks to Taponen’s performances, a place in the quarter-finals is still completely realistic. IFK hardly has anything to do with medal games this season.