After losing their first two games on the road, TPS have now taken two straight on home ice, including this 3-1 win over Mountfield HK, to move into the hunt for a top-two spot in Group F. Since winning their first game at home to TPS, Mountfield have one point in their last three games and find themselves last in the group.
After a scoreless first period, TPS struck twice in the second period. Just past the game’s midpoint, Jasper Lindsten set up Ilari Filppula for a one-time blast that beat Jakub Sedláček to the short side. Then in the last two minutes of the middle frame, it was another one-timer that beat Sedláček - this time Jani Forsström’s shot from the point was headed toward the far post before it was tipped in front by Teemu Väyrynen.
“We had a good power play there and then I got a high goal to the net. I got a good shot from the blue line and I saw it coming and I just tipped it.”Teemu Väyrynen, forward, TPS Turku
With time running out on Mountfield, Henrik Tallinder was assessed a double minor for boarding with 4:01 to play. With Sedláček on the bench for a 6-on-4 advantage, Blaž Gregorc cut the deficit in half with a shot from the point through traffic. But in the second minor with Sedláček again on the bench, Mountfield were pressing for the equalizer when Markus Nurmi shot it the length of the ice into the empty net to seal it for TPS with 2:02 to play.
“We had a hard time getting into the game in the first period. We got a couple of good chances, but it’s too bad we didn’t score any goals. And when had a power play at the end, it looked like we might tie the game.”René Vydarený, defenceman, Mountfield HK