Gothenburg. Karlstad or Gothenburg – which city puts pressure on hockey matches better.
Linus Johansson, Färjestad captain, has his answer ready.
– Karlstad. The pressure on Friday was last. There is better pressure in our matches, says the captain of the team.
There was another exciting quarter-final match between Frolland and Varjestad on Sunday afternoon.
In the end, the home team won after Louis Ericsson scored his second goal of the evening and clinched the match with a 3-2 goal.
The talking point is the Löfbergs Arena and Scandinavium which offers the best atmosphere, excitement and soundscape. Now both teams have played a home game and the Färjestad captain has his analysis ready.
– Now there is a difference between Friday and Sunday, you have to think about that. But there is better pressure in Karlstad. There is a good atmosphere in Scandinavia, but not the same as in our yard. Last Friday was the best atmosphere since Final Six a year ago, said Linus Johansson.
“Special Audience in Karlstad”
The arenas provide a slightly different environment and setting for the audience. The Färjestad crowd directed the introduction themselves last Friday when they sang the club anthem “På den sköld Du klär” and in Gothenburg there is more music as the crowd plays a supporting role.
– and then it’s a bit of an ice-breaker to both sitting and standing, which means you lose that closeness which is so important. Just look how close the fans in Ängelholm get to the ice, says Johansson and continues:
– Then there is a private audience in Karlstad. There is a long tradition of going to ice hockey and sometimes a long standing family tradition with a great knowledge of hockey. Maybe it’s a bit of a punter, but you have to be on the field, says Johansson.
Färjestad is currently leading the Battle Publik. But when handing out verbal pacifiers, Frölunda has a big A, so far. Primarily, it was coach Roger Rönnberg who had opinions that Färjestad’s players strengthen, and Rönnberg emphasized the importance of not staying on the ice and the values the Frölunda players had.
Playing the victim doesn’t suit Roger. But it’s nice to play against a team that stands all the time, Johansson concludes with a broad smile.
