Most recently, Johan Ivarsson attacked Skellefteå with his mouth. Today, the Malmö back really swung his fists.
– It’s clear that it’s good if they can focus on me, but I don’t think they do, he said on TV4 before the 2-1 meeting.
The last time Malmö and Skellefteå faced each other, Johan Ivarsson became the big foreground figure after he completely sawed the whole of Skellefteå as a club and village. This after Janne Kuokkanen received a match penalty for a tackle on Oliver Okuliar.
Today, in the middle of the third period, a big brawl finally broke out with both helmets and gloves flying.
Just Okuliar had brought down a Malmö player and quickly got Kuokkanen in front of him before several players entered the game. Before long, Johan Ivarsson and Pär Lindholm were seen swinging at each other.
– Ivarsson overturns Lindholm and we see a real heat, says TV4’s commentator in the broadcast.
After a long review of the fight, the referees finally came to two-minute expulsions for Okuliar, Lindholm, Johnson (Skellefteå) and Pajuniemi (Malmö), but for Ivarsson it was a harsher punishment in the form of five minutes. Malmö thus had to play four against three.
The background to the feelings: “Had mocked Skellefteå”
Before the match, Ivarsson’s previous comments had come up, but then the defender said that he did not think that Skellefteås would put any extra weight on it.
– I actually don’t know. I think we should focus on our game and play good hockey. Then it’s only fun if it gets a little extra hot, he said on TV4 and continued about possible hopes regarding the wrong focus for Skellefteå.
– I don’t know about hopes, but it’s clear that it’s good if they can focus on me, but I don’t think they do.
Before that fight, however, Ivarsson had been hit by Lars Bryggman, which caused him to tumble backwards, into an open stall door.
– I spoke to Jonathan Pudas a few days after Ivarsson’s statement, and he said “we really don’t like Malmö”. Apparently, Malmö had mocked Skellefteå after a win last season, and that lived on into the season and then came Ivarsson’s statement. So these are two clubs that are really going “head to head” right now, says TV4’s Adam Johansson from the studio.
With 50 seconds left to play, Malmö scored 1-1 in the match. This in a new power play. In extra time, however, Oscar Lindberg made it 2–1 for Skellefteå.
– Tight match. I think maybe they have a slight advantage in terms of play, but we have chances throughout the match to score so it shouldn’t have to wait until the last minutes, says Ivarsson on TV4 after the match and continues about that fight with Lindholm.
– I don’t know what to say. I only got five minutes, so I must have done something wrong. I don’t know. It was ugly, it was really ugly…
