Ice Hockey World Championships | Kaapo Kakko made it to Mikko Rantanen’s chain in the last round of the tournament – this is how he commented on the change

Sport|Ice Hockey World Championships

Tampere

The lions winger Kaapo Kako regretted the ineffective performance of the Lions after the Canada match. Kakko reflected that the quarter-final could have turned out differently if the Lions had managed to score the opening goal or equalize Canada’s lead.

“We knew that Canada would be tough. They have a pretty tough bunch again and they play a physical game”, Kakko evaluates the opponent.

Kako was hit by one of the Lions’ best spots in the entire match. He broke through in the second period, but the Canadian goalie Samuel Montembeault pulled a longer stroke and no narrowing hit was seen.

“I tried a little diversion and to the side, which I liked to do. I don’t know how the veskari was involved in it so well,” Kakko said.

“I tried to see if someone would come from the second wave, but the puck also escaped.”

Montembeault was a bad thing for Leijon to overcome in the quarter-finals. Only at the end of the match Teemu Hartikainen broke the copper. Until then, the goalkeeper picked up one attempt after another.

Montembeault played 40 games in the NHL regular season in the shirt of the Montreal Canadiens. The NHL save percentage of 90.1 is not dazzling, but it is in line with the Canadian World Cup team. Not a big league star, but a player in the regular lineup nonetheless.

“He played a really good game. I don’t know if it was a surprise, but congratulations to him. Played brilliantly”, admitted Kakko.

Kako regarding the tournament, in eight matches, the results were 1+5=6. In the matches before the semi-finals, Kakko formed the most intact chain of the Lions Antti Suomelan and Kasperi Kapanen with.

They also started the quarterfinals together and were the most dangerous trio in Finland. In the final set, Kakko and Hartikainen changed places.

After the change, Kakko was able to attack for the first time in the tournament Mikko Rantanen with in the same chain. The placement of the duo in the same attack chain was speculated during the tournament, but the attempt was only seen in the last moments.

Would you have liked to try with Miko in the same chain before?

“Those are choices that are no longer my business. Of course, it was talked about that it could have been quite good, but even with Kapanen and Suomela, the last two games worked well. It was a clear thing that we started with this game as well”, answered Kakko.

The runner-up also did not deny that the condition of the ice in the Nokia Arena would have hindered his playing in the World Cup tournament

“It’s not nice for anyone, but I was able to bring the things I wanted to bring at the offensive end. Every now and then a little bounce, but that belongs to this sport,” said Kakko.