Djurgården went into the fog – sweating in a sauna – and came away with three points.
Here are Jonathan Knecta’s five points from the Allsvenskan hockey premiere between Djurgården and Bjorkloven.
1. 8094
Everyone in Djurgardskretsar knows what the number above means: full on the field.
And he heard.
They sang the old Djurgår´n, the classic anthem that has been played on various tours since the 1970s, making the concrete shake in a way that is difficult to conjure in other, more modern arenas.
The Johanishov Ice Arena was also the subject of mammoths that spread across it both of them Short and long side before landing. Very beautiful and something you don’t see every day.
2. In I deman (!)
Once the disc was released, players were thrust into an environment that could almost be compared to a dawn raid in a well-directed war movie. There was a solid hour above the ice and fog covered the glass windows around the rink. The guards opened the doors wide and scraped the glass in increments and increments to improve visibility — at least temporarily.
They had no definitive explanation for this phenomenon, and without Leif Burke’s climate expertise, I suspect it was because it was harsh and sweaty inside, while it was 17+ outside on a September evening.
Anyway, there were great pictures.
3. Whirlwind Victor
Of course, I played hockey too. It was Djurgården who provided the best and most in the first period, at least with the puck.
Young Victor Nelson wasn’t just eating barbed wire for breakfast, he was eating a whole carpet of nails, judging by the way he was spinning. In one of his first substitutions, the 21-year-old had enough time to strike a perfect brace and send Jesper Lindgren onto the board for the home team within a few seconds.
Nelson had a total of seven shots on goal in the first two periods and eventually got the score, even if it was random. Nelson scored with a 2-0 header from a position behind the goal line extending past goalkeeper Jonna Voutilainen and into the goal.
4. Anderson’s brain release
Returning Djurgården defender Axel Andersson started promisingly with his good skating and smooth puck handling in the build-up phase.
But the first show lasted only 25 minutes.
Anderson dealt one of the most obvious face checks we’ve seen, to Bjorklofen’s Nick Schelke, and he had to go straight to the bathroom.
Yes, Friedrich Weigel pushed it from behind with the same crank, but I still consider it a brain drop. Expect a little commentary on the game.
Djurgården scored 20-3 in shots until Bjorklofen were forced to go five-on-four and five-on-three as a result of Andersson’s penalty.
Without a grille.
Schelke, Boly, Powell and the rest struggled hard to carve out good chances and the passing game was dismal at times.
1/2Photo: Jesper Zerman/BuildBerron
5. What in the world happened!?
But even though Djurgården made it 2-0 through Viktor Nilsson after the match’s penalty kick, Bjorklofen looked victorious.
The reason is written by Maxime Fortier.
The Canadian, who is in his second season at Leuven, showed the oxygen fine before Nikolai Mayer sent the cut in the second period. Samme Fortier then made it 2-2 and 3-2 in the space of two minutes midway through the third period.
He stole the show – most people thought.
But this year’s edition of Djurgården doesn’t bow first, as it turns out. Amid rousing cheers, the home team’s stars stepped forward when it was needed most.
John Norman, 3-3 with four minutes remaining.
Ole Lees, 4-3 with two minutes left.
Viktor whirlwind, 5-3 in an empty cage.
The game ended shortly after 11 p.m.
This was an unforgettable night for 8,094 sweaty souls torn between hope and despair.
In the sauna.