On Tuesday it was again time for a new round and match no. 2 for the new year. The Lakers bus went to Gävle for match no. 3 against Brynäs, against whom the Lakers have been successful this season. The premiere ended with a fine 4-7 in favor of the Lakers. And initially it was the guests who dictated the terms and you have a great chance already early in the first minute of play. But this initial momentum is then broken already after 1.10 when Manuel Ågren gets a stick in the face of Jakob Silfverberg.
An expulsion you manage in a good way. But after this, you can’t really find your way back to the nice game of the beginning. Focus decreases, which leads to poorer passing and poorer communication. You also get the chance itself in the sixth minute when Brynäs Mattias Norlinder goes out. But the powerplay leaves a lot to be desired. It is difficult to establish any kind of play at all, and once you get hold of the puck, you make a worse finish quite early, which of course results in the puck leaving the offensive zone.
When it looks like this, of course eventually there will be a setback. And it’s Tyler Vessel who finds an advancing Jack Kopacka who just directs the puck between the legs of Åhman and we have 1-0 after 15.45. The home team wins the shots 10-5 in the first period which goes to the home team on most fronts. And the second period doesn’t have much more color in it if you’re a Lakers fan. If you start by summing it up, it’s really only the PP that you get at the end that is actually good.
The period as a whole is completely colorless in Växjö’s eyes, even if the home team is not dominating in any way, they have had a very pleasant trip so far. You make it 2-0 already after 2.30, and here too we are talking weak play in your own zone where you gamble miserably with small margins instead of being determined and acting with weight. Bobby Trivigno wins the puck at blue, and via Axel Jonsson-Fjällby the puck finds its way to Linus Öhlund, who can put the puck into the open goal. All due to weak play on own blue by the guests. The shots in the second land at 8-7 for the home team.
The second part of the third period sees a slight lift from the visitors who make it 2-1 after 10.56 through Felix Robert to set it up again and drop people back and Kiefer Bellows is able to go free and put in 3-1 just 40 seconds later. After 14.20, the Lakers can again reduce through Dennis Rasmussen, who luckily gets his edge shot under the shin guards of Erik Källgren.
With 3 minutes left, the Lakers take out Åhman and go for a push. A push that, after a few half-chances, ends with two further late goals in an empty net by Anton Rödin and Bobby Trvingo. A match that Rasmussen sums up quite well afterwards when he says that we raise our game far too late. And it doesn’t work going forward to keep giving the opposition a few handicap goals, and then try to chase an overtime. Here, the Lakers must find another level in their game. The shots end 25-18 to the home team.
Next match on Thursday when Färjestad comes to visit. Drop-off in Vida Arena at 19.00.
COMPOSITION
Brynäs IF – Växjö Lakers 5-2 (1-0, 1-0, 3-2)
15:45 1-0 Jack Kopacka (Tyler Vessel, Simon Bertilsson)
23:50 2-0 Linus Öhlund (Bobby Trivingo, Axel Jonsson-Fjällby)
50:56 2-1 Felix Robert (Joel Persson, Brian Cooper)
51:36 3-1 Kiefer Bellows (Jacob Silfverberg)
54:20 3-2 Dennis Rasmussen (Lucas Elvenes, Brian Cooper)
57:46 4-2 Anton Rödin (Johan Larsson, Jacob Silfverberg)
58:51 5-2 Bobby Trivingo (Oskar Lindblom)
Utv:
Shot: 25-18 (10-5, 8-7, 7-6)
