Invite Brynäs to a “hockey party”.
Perhaps the invited inhabitants of Yavle have gone with all sentiment except celebration
But of course there was a party – and even more drama in the fight to rock bottom.
The match in Gävle was called “Hockeyfest” and it was guaranteed to be something the officials at Brynäs called the match long before the circumstances were known.
In addition, the Brynassers’ greatest, Tord Lundström, is 78 years old and, as is often the case, was out of place in the arena.
He was not alone.
In contrast to the results, Brynäs is heading for its best average crowd since the 2006/07 season. Tonight it was full (7,909) and the atmosphere was somewhat reminiscent of the SC final between these two teams in 2017.
It certainly helped that the home team got off to a fast start, to say the least.
She criticized Miko Manner after losing to Örebro.
Certainly not for Brynä’s performance, but for Manner’s post-match actions. His underwhelming performance where he questioned himself and looked like a real loser.
Just two days before the fateful meeting with HV71.
The heavy names were delivered
I don’t know what Manner told his players before this match, or if it was the team itself that decided.
Anyway, it was good.
Briannas leaned forward.
HV as a whole cat and as a result they have had 3 expulsions.
Brynäs suddenly got real dividends in terms of the chances they created, not least in their power play.
They managed to break a Johnny Ortillo goal after seven minutes and just 91 seconds later it was 2-0.
The names were heavy.
First, a skilful maneuver by Anton Rudin at the offensive blue line before Johannes Kinfal served David Sklinica into an open cage.
Real test of HV71
Johan Larsson scored 2-0 in a tough match played by Timashov and Kinfal.
Then Nick Olsen was inches away from making it 3-0 after a classic Foppa/Kenta Nilson move. If you entered, the arena would probably have fallen.
3-0 instead came in the later numerical advantage after Linus Ölund tried three times, played by Oula Palve and Rödin.
Palve, who had been on a former numerical weakness, ruled out a goal from behind with a running back I probably haven’t seen since coming to Brynäs.
I belong to those who have been more affected by the HV recording than by the team’s play since John Lindbohm took charge of the team. I’ve highlighted on several occasions two factors that have lifted the team: Ortillo’s goalkeeping and the special teams.
Now, neither of those factors were flawless.
It really became a true test of what this team is made of when it hasn’t rolled around like it has since Lindbom took over. And the response was not disappointing at all.
Radan Link and Nick Schorr pulled back, but Ben Hannes Bjornen scored for Brinas and it was 4-2 after two periods.
Brinas, a formerly pretty outsider, scored four goals on ten shots after 27 minutes.
He went for a mental slap
Brinas led by two goals and was cut short in a mental battle in the third period.
It began with Dmytro Timashov neatly hitting the crossbar and seconds later Andrei Pettersson had reduced the lead to 4-3.
A mental slap in the face of the weakest team in the series also played for survival and took on the strongest team in the series.
Not only does the HV71 have one of the best runs in the series, but it also has one of the league’s most skilled players in André Petersson.
These three – not least Peterson – need incredibly little to hurt their opponents.
Now Brynäs managed to get away. Hannes Bjorninen scored the final score in an empty cage and the jubilation that erupted was on par with Ula Balf who had scored the decisive goal in the qualifiers two years earlier.
Brinas is a far cry from avoiding any qualification. The HV71 still has everything in its hands thanks to its better aiming accuracy.
But the victory means that Brynäs has created a new drama in the battle for the bottom, which has all the conditions to develop into a classic in the last two rounds.
The question is whether already qualified Malmö isn’t the big winner here, considering how mentally devastated the team is having to finish the season with qualifying matches.
More forward-looking, verbal and joking, Mikko Manner was almost courted in the press conference after the win over HV71.
Already on Tuesday against Timrå, he has to prepare his team to give their best performance for the new year.
