Ice hockey | HIFK lost to Tampere, Ilari Melart scored two goals in 40 seconds

Tampere

Helsinki IFK defender Ilari Melart managed to deliver the puck to the goal three times when Tappara and HIFK met in the Thursday night game in Tampere at the Nokia Arena.

Unfortunately for Melarti, the first of the three hits went into his own goal, and when none of the other IFK players could score, Tappara won the match 5–2.

Evening in the first goal, Melart played in front of the goal as an underpowered defender. Tapparan Walter Merelä couldn’t get hold of the puck properly and the puck bounced past Melarti’s skate Niilo Halonen.

Tappara added Sami Moilanen hitting the lead’s two goals at the end of the opening set. At the beginning of the second period, it was Melarti’s turn to star.

Melart had time to hit the goalposts already at the end of the first period, but in the second period the shots found the goal.

Melart completed two hits for HIFK in 40 seconds with shots from near the blue line. The first goal was created with superiority, the second on a level playing field. Both times, HIFK’s play in the lead up to the goal was good, and not the goalkeeper Christian Heljanko saw pucks laid out from the defender’s plot.

The Jykevä defender, who returned to Helsinki for this season, already performed strongly in the opening match against HPK, but without power. Now the bets went down to the finish line.

HIFK hung on to Melart’s goals by a point over the middle of the final set. In time 51.58 Niko Ojamäki Halonen shot past the puck. Ojamäki, who won the KHL goal exchange last season, flashed his shooting skills, and the shot went past Halonen through the crossbar.

After Ojamäki’s goal, Tappara defended strongly, and HIFK couldn’t get the game tied. Two minutes to go Petteri Puhakka made a half-way through and shot the puck past Halonen. Ojamäki finished the night with his second goal to an empty net.

HIFK therefore suffered a loss in the second game following their victory in the opening round.

HIFK will continue its games in Tampere on Saturday as well. Then another club from Tampere, Ilves, will face you.