Mestis – early games promise an exciting season

The second tier league in Finland has also started a few weeks ago and the first six game days already gave a taste of what Finnish fans can expect this year. The teams seem to have a well-balanced level of play and a couple of players came in through co-operation programmes. So is Jokipojat Joensuu co-operating with KHL club Dinamo Riga, which means that Dinamo can place players in Joensuu to give them practice and recall them later on. The first players that came from Riga were Martins Jakovlevs and Vitaljs Pavlovs.

And Jokipojat is getting a profit from this as well. After losing the two opening games Joensuu is now unbeaten in 4 straight games. This streak got them back in the top group of four teams within just one point. Lempälä is currently in the lead right ahead of the usual favorites from Mikkeli and Turku’s second force behind TPS, TuTo Hockey.

Behind this elite group of teams you will find another 5 teams within one point: Kajaani, Kouvola, Tuusula, Vaasa and Vantaa.

Only Heinola and Savonlinna really seem to struggle at the moment and have to find a way to keep up with the rest.

Today’s top game between Jokipojat and TuTo was won by the “river boys” from the Eastern part of Finland. After falling behind 1-2 in the first period,  Jokipojat answered with 4 straight goals to secure a 5-3 win. A huge role in this game was given once again to Jokipojat’s top scorers Sami Blomqvist and Mikael Ruohomaa, who not just scored the equalizer, but also the 5-2 that sealed the deal in the last period. With those points Blomqvist and Ruohomaa are now in 3rd and 4th place in the league-wide scoring race just behind LeKi’s Niclas Lucenius, who we still know from Tappara’s run to the SML-finals in april, and Vaasa’s Lassi Kokkala.  

The latter mentioned Lassi Kokkala got one more point in tonight’s tilt against SapKo, that was easily won by Vaasa Sport 5-1. Samuli Kivimäki had a three-point game with
2 goals and one assist.

On Wednesday Mestis will continue with another clash of two of the top teams, when Turku and Mikkeli face each other.

Tweets by @eurohockey