For the second year in a row the final will be between favourites, Luleå/ MSSK and Linköping HC. A Brit on Thin Ice takes possible games plan that will determine who wins the Swedish Championship 2018/9.
THE GAME PLAN
Linköping HC will have to focus on defense and blocking shots to protect netminder Eveliina Suonpää and hope for frustration and mistakes from Luleå. At the same time they need forwards Kennedy Marchment & Co. to be 100% focused and take the chances that come, such as Power Play, where defender Sidney Morin will be a key creative player. Expect the underdogs to try grind out wins with one or two goal margins.
Luleå HF will go for out-shooting their opponents with their super talented forwards of Emma Nordin, Michelle Karvinen and defender Jenni Hiirkoski. and relying on netminder Sara Grahn at the back.
They have shown absolutely no respect for their opponents in quarterfinals and semis, trying to blow them off the ice with their superiority by going for hard and fast starts where they crush the opponent’s morale in the first period with two or three goals.
Last year Luleå won the series 2-1, with an overwhelming third match victory at home. During the season the teams have met four times and it was 3-1 to last year's champions. Few would bet again a similar result in the best of five series that starts in Luleå tonight at 18:15 on SVT.
@ABritOnThinIce1
