FINLAND – Spring, the best time for a hockey player. There is one team in the SM-Liiga that has proven that age old adage true. Espoo Blues earlier made history by becoming the first team to make it through the so called ‘pity play offs’ and make it to the semi-finals where they were pitted against the league favourites JYP from Jyvaskyla. The Blues side were unfazed by the star studded line up from JYP and took their spirited game right to the championship hopefuls from game one. What made things worse for JYP is that young Sami Vatanen was missing from their blue line. During the series JYP only managed to claw one win out of the Espoo based team as it progressed through to the finals after winning the series 4-1, thus becoming the first team ever to make it through the early play off rounds and make it all the way to the season’s grand finale. Do you believe in miracles, anyone? Perhaps game one showed that Blues had the upper hand after JYP’s Filip Riksa got suspended for hitting a referee while he was being escorted towards the JYP bench after a ruckus. One of Blues’ big heroes has been the man between the pipes, Iiro Tarkki who gives his team a chance to win every night. The other series between HIFK and Lukko has also been wrapped up, and again history was made in the series, when in game five, Minnesota Wild prospect Mikael Granlund became the first player to score five points in a period. Granlund registered the stats 2+3 during a 20 minute frame when HIFK secured its ticket in the finals by thrashing Lukko 6-0. Again, Lukko had little or no chance against HIFK and only managed to win one game in the series. In the final game of the series, Lukko was a mere spectator as HIFK’s big guns were producing. This is the first time that HIFK has made it to the finals since 1999, when it lost against TPS. HIFK last won the title in 1998 when it had one Tim Thomas between the pipes. You might’ve heard of him? Blues on the other hand are without a title in its history and is the less experienced team in this years’ finals. The finals will now be played between HIFK and Blues, where HIFK are the clear favourites but the Blues have proved everyone wrong this year and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if it would stage the Cinderella story of all time. For JYP and Lukko the season continues in a one game series to decide who will take the bronze medals from the 2010-2011 season. The SM-Liiga finals will kick off on 13th of April. Janne.Virtanen@prohockeynews.com
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