Abrahamson: The second group saved Temra at the Battle of Västernorrland
Timrå has found his way back to winning ways once again.
It does not matter that the first series is conspicuous by its absence.
The second series saved the home audience once again – now in the Battle of Västernorrland.
Västernorrland battle, rival encounter, Surströmmings derby or just Timrå-Modo.
Dear baby has many names.
If there’s one thing Swedish ice hockey can’t have enough of, it’s heated rivalries.
Timrå vs Modo definitely qualifies for the top of the list.
For the older residents of Uvik, Bjorklofen is perhaps the worst contender, but for the younger generation, Timra is definitely at the top of the scalping list.
The load wasn’t made any worse by the fact that September had seen another gorgeous fall day.
Outside what is now called SCA Arena, there were beer tents, troubadours and long lines of parked supporters’ buses.
It has been more than ten years since the two teams from Västernorrland last met in an SHL match. Those of us who have been around a while still remember the rather epic quarterfinal series in 2007, which to this day stands firmly in contention for the most loaded playoff series of all time.
Tonight it’s finally time again.
A late but delicious tifo
The hockey temple of Indalsälven wasn’t really sold out in the first showing against Frölunda, but has now been sold out for weeks.
We who were disappointed that Västra Stå did not present Tifo in the first show against Frölunda, have now been compensated.
“Straight outta Hållnäs” with a hip-hop touch and Jeremy Boyce as the lead was beautiful and delicious.
Temra came off the back of two straight losses and a tough 1-9 goal difference, while Modou came off a thunderous and exhilarating performance in their home opener against Linköping.
All the (often illogical) hockey logic talks about Timråseger and of course it happened.
But it was difficult at first inside.
In half the match, not much was working for the home team.
Timrås feared, and before the season was rewritten, that the first group with Dahlén, Lander and Hålander would face the derby with an impressive zero points together and a huge amount of negative goals.
Against Modo, another scoreless goal came just five minutes later when Sam Vigneault easily cleared the ball from Ilmire Ironen and sent it to Niklas Volin, who made it 1-0.
In the second 10 minutes after that, Emil Pettersson made it 1-1 via Modou’s skate. Ångeson’s first goal in the SHL this season.
Missed the intended two points forward
Timrå got more organized into the game (read more zonal time and therefore longer attacks) during the second half of the middle period, while Modo started to play very naively and scatter the puck.
It didn’t help Mudu that top attacking star Mikael Ruhoma was forced to leave the game just 19 seconds after the tackle.
Add that another intended attacking striker in Danny O’Regan has not arrived yet.
Then it becomes very vulnerable offensively for the newcomer.
There were very few who were able to raise the level of play in the offensive zone.
Magnus Bajjarvi, who scored twice in the home opener, made it 2-2. After Christian Robins misjudged Robin Hansel’s volley.
Two more goals from the second set for Timrå – and there will be more to come from that unit.
With 41 seconds left in the first half, Albin Lundin scored to make it 3-2 as Modo was again very poor in his own box.
By then, Erik Walle-Walterholm and Sampo Ranta had each had two golden chances for the visitors.
Gotta get the first series going
But Maude coach Matthias Karlin was “extremely disappointed” with his team’s performance in the second half.
Four minutes into the third period, Theodor Niederbach had a crazy pass and Emil Pettersson was able to send Robbie Hanzel to a fantastic open goal.
After winning the first show over Frölunda, Timrå has won again and again on home soil.
But the First Series, on the other hand, is quite conspicuous by its absence when it comes to point production.
Now Timrå is back through the second set scoring three new goals, just like in the first show.
But if Timrå is going to be a top team, Lander, Dahlén and Hållander must start.
Modou could not ride the wave after last time’s impressive win over Linköping. The newcomer certainly doesn’t have an abundance of attacking points and will be a bit of an odd striker.
In addition, it is a completely new daily life with tough matches at least two days a week where the team has to improve its performance.
It’s called SHL’s Hard Reality.
Today there was no energy to deal with.