Could Djurgården do that on a dark October evening in Kristianstad?
It worked, for the time being.
I thank goalkeeper Karl Lindbaum for that.
The score 0-0 with only four minutes remaining in Olsvinska’s lone hockey game on Tuesday was the biggest mystery of the season.
Because it wasn’t exactly any hockey training that took place at the Ice Hall in Kristianstad, to put it mildly.
The 1,915 spectators enjoyed an intensely entertaining spectacle with two superb goalkeepers in a match that required more than one hand to count all the free kicks in the game.
Not even when Djurgården closed in on putting nothing in the box did the Stockholm players manage to outpace Philip Larsson in goal.
Former JVM goalkeeper Larsson, who was not allowed to go with HV71 after the SHL promotion, started the season brilliantly with five goals conceded in four games.
Karl Lindbaum played great
However, he was overshadowed by what Djurgården said as Karl Lindumm this evening.
The 19-year-old lost some cheap rebounds in the first period, but was ultimately the single biggest reason Djurgarden came home in the capital by three points tonight.
What we saw of Kristianstad physically and strong in skating in the season opener Mikael Gath shows that last year’s strong season was no exception.
Then you were forced to rub your eyes when Kik dropped his favorite HV71 twice in a row in November.
Now they are a short distance from repeating the feat against already favorite Djurgorden after four rounds. As you know, they won in Stockholm 4-2 last week.
In fact, Kristianstad wasn’t late this season until John Norman, one of the star players in the spotlight, decided to clock 16:30 on the clock in the third period.
It took a game of strength, Djurgården’s first match to break the deadlock. A classic poor goal as Norman bluntly hit the second leg after Larsson failed to save Jonathan Lickremacki’s goal.
Nearly 50 rounds saved
Kristianstad won on penalties 47-27, which says more about Karl Lindbaum’s efforts. With the way the season began, there’s no doubt he snatched the top spot ahead of signed college goalkeeper Matthew Gallagda.
The thing that still ends up in the Djurgården plus account this evening is that the team’s game is at a disadvantage. They killed four plays on the straight box in the second and third periods, thanks in large part to the aforementioned Norman, who is very important even in this form of play.
It’s the kind of bastard needed, match and match, if Djurgården were to step back into SHL immediately.
On November 22, the two teams meet again in Kristianstad, and already on December 19, the fourth and regular season meeting between the two teams will be held in Stockholm.
I might think an odd arrangement, but one thing is for sure.
Djurgård coach Joachim Waggervall certainly wouldn’t cheer if they faced each other again until spring.
On the contrary.