AALBORG:In recent times, Aalborg Pirates have not been under as much pressure in a playoff series as was the case once morest Rungsted Seier Capital in this year’s quarter-finals.
The two teams had played each other in a crucial game seven, and even though Aalborg Pirates had the home field advantage, it was a completely even game.
After just over three minutes, the roof was regarding to lift when one of the linesmen suddenly assumed the role of the match’s first goalscorer. A control from Jeppe Jul Korsgaard hit one of the referees on the skate and bounced into the goal.
Initially, the referee in question ruled a goal, but it was correctly withdrawn, as a goal can never be ruled if a referee directs the puck into the goal, as was the case here.
It caused the mood to drop among the many Pirates fans, and the bad mood was further reduced when Victor Rollin Carlsson went down in the penalty box. The following period the Pirates survived, but it was not without sword strikes.
History repeated itself shortly following, when Anders Koch also crossed into Aalborg’s penalty box, but once more the pirates luckily and piously averted the situation.
Photo: Martel Andersen“/>
The mood came to a boil when it became clear that the Pirates are not going on summer vacation. Photo: Martel Andersen
Pirates found it difficult to get a rhythm in the game, but towards the end of the first period things got better, and the home team put together some sequences that threatened the Rungsted goal.
With just under four minutes left in the first period, Aalborg Pirates got their first power play, and it only took 15 seconds of that to score the first goal of the game. After a couple of quick passes between Thomas Spelling and Julian Jakobsen, the puck ended up with Trevor Gooch, and the American did not hesitate to hammer the puck into the goal to deafening cheers.
Here, Victor Rollin Carlsson decides the match with his score to 4-2. Photo: Martel Andersen
Pirates might take the lead into the cabin, but Rungsted was far from beaten. The North Zealanders showed it when they equalized at 1-1 via a powerplay scoring from Mattias Persson.
It was Mattias Persson who owned the ice in the first 10 minutes of the second period. In fact, the pirates should have paid admission to go on the ice, because they were mostly spectators in Rungsted’s dominance.
But it can go fast in the world’s fastest game.
Aalborg Pirates – Rungsted Victory Capital 5-2
- The metal league, ice hockey
- DM quarter-final, match 7
- Periodecifre: 1-0, 2-1, 2-1
- Goals: 1-0 Trevor Gooch (16.27), 1-1 Mattias Persson (24.32), 2-1 Kirill Kabanov (30.09), 3-1 Patrick Bjorkstrand (31.19), 3-2 Jacob Gammelgaard (49.01), 4-2 Victor Rollin Carlsson (57.20), 5-2 Julian Jakobsen (59.15)
- Dismissals: Aalborg 3×2 Rungsted 1×2
- Spectators: 4378
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Best as it only seemed a matter of time before Rungsted would get ahead, Aalborg’s profiles Julian Jakobsen and Kirill Kabanov struck.
Kabanov was searched in front of the goal, where he, like few others in Danish ice hockey, can control a puck in the goal. That was exactly what he did on a finish from Julian Jakobsen.
The pirates’ 2-1 goal was a shock for Rungsted in a double sense. The Pirates were under pressure, and had it not been for a great play by George Sørensen, Rungsted would have been ahead.
The pirates were quite uncharacteristically pressed down in their own zone, and just getting the puck out of their own zone looked difficult.
The burgeoning sense of optimism among the pirates really got wind in their sails when, shortly following the 2-1 score, Patrick Bjorkstrand extended the home team’s lead to 3-1 when he skated behind the Rungsted goal and cunningly sent the puck into the goal.
It was the first playoff point from the regular Pirates profile. Part of the explanation for the pirates’ major playing challenges can certainly be found in the fact that Bjorkstrand is one of several expected profiles who did not deliver at the expected level in the quarter-final series once morest Rungsted.
Normally, Aalborg is always the team that skates the fastest. Sports director Ronny Larsen has made it a mantra that you have to have speed to play in Aalborg. In Friday’s match, it was clearly Rungsted who skated the best. Time and time once more, Rungsted got the puck into the Pirates zone without significant problems.
It has been a long time since the Pirates have just stood and parried in their own zone like that, as was the case for large parts of the third period.
The Pirates players have tried a bit of everything in this year’s quarter-final series, but now they can look forward to the semi-final once morest the Herlev Eagles. Photo: Martel Andersen
With 11 minutes left in the third period, things went wrong for a passive Pirates team, who for God knows what time were pressed down in their own zone. In power play-like sequences – of course in five once morest five – Jacob Gammelgaard was reduced to 2-3.
The siege continued with undiminished strength from Rungsted’s side. If you didn’t know better, you would think that the North Zealanders were the regular season winners, and the Pirates were the thin playoff beer.
Just as it looked like Rungsted was going to make a final attempt on Aalborg’s lead, Aalborg and Victor Rollin Carlsson countered. The Swede made it 4-2 with less than three minutes left in the game.
Julian Jakobsen closed the game with a goal into an empty net with less than a minute remaining. This means that Aalborg Pirates are ready for the semi-finals. The Herlev Eagles are waiting here.
The first match will be played on Wednesday 20.15 in Aalborg.
