Alright, we got a couple updates here.
Since our loss to Helsinborg, we’ve played 6 games, including one last night. Immediately following Helsinborg, we played Kallinge (6-1, at home, loss), Hässleholm (11- 1, away, win), and Trelleborg (8-3, at home, win). I’m too far behind on my blogging to give satisfactory accounts of these games so please go to the team site (http://www.laget.se/OIKALAGET/start.html). I’ll say that we were down a couple guys for the Kallinge loss (and Kallinge has a solid squad so it really could have been worse), and Hässleholm and Trelleborg are in second to last and last place, so I think the results make sense there. It’s still nice to see the boys put a few pucks home though.
Most notable of these most recent 6 games was our match against Tyringe. As you know by now, Tyringe has been the number one team in our series from the beginning of the season. Our first meeting with them ended in a 12-0 loss. The second and third meetings, while much better games, were also losses (4-1 and 7-3). However, in our fourth and final game of the year, Osby was able to give Tyringe their 5th loss of the season in a third period come-from-behind win! An incredible game. To begin, the match was an “En krona match” or a one krona match at home. Because of our losing ways at the start of the season, home game attendance has gone way down. As a result, the team budget has been pretty tight due to unforeseen revenue losses (due to the poor attendance). The en krona match aimed to help fix this and it was a success! In an en krona match, instead of generating money through admission (which is free for the game), companies sponsoring the match pay one krona per person that shows up. With 59 sponsoring companies and our biggest attendance of the year at 841 (avg. around 200), the En Krona Macth was a hit. And a great game!
To start, Jamie and I were both interviewed as we exited the ice after warm-ups over the rink’s PA. The guy asked James how many goals he was going to score. James giggled and said he didn’t know but he ended up getting one (and an assist)! While the interviewer didn’t ask about my scoring prowess, I was complimented on my skating and defensive game. Someone noticed!
After an exciting back and forth first period leaving us in a 0-0 tie, the game started to slip down the tradition slope. First shift of the second period, Tyringe took the lead 1-0. And not long after it was 2-0. It was hard not to think about being embarrassed in front of our best home crowd ever. Tyringe vs Osby is also a long time rivalry (derbymatchen) which adds an extra sting when you lose. But Osby played on and we were able to get on the board making in 2-1 going into the third (James’ assist). And then it all came together. In one whistle Tyringe took two penalties (the ref had his hand up for one and the guy, assuming the ref wasn’t going to call them again, wacks our guy in an aggravated attempted to gain control of the puck). 5v3 for Osby. 10 second in, black line powerplay put one in to tie it up. With a minute 50 left on the second penalty, the second powerplay unit put another one in to take the lead 3-2. Not long after, our third line went barreling in on the net to make it 4-2. We weren’t in the clear yet though. The penalties started going against us and we took 6 before the period was over. Tyringe came at us hard but we fought back and Jani (our goalie) came up big! James made it 5-2 with an empty netter.
It was an exciting game to play in. And by the sound of it, the atmosphere of the Tyringe game was how it used to be every home game, not 5 years ago. For whatever reason, hockey has taken a downturn in Osby. After the game, the bar was packed and I was later told that “beating Tyringe makes life easier to live” haha.
Unfortunately, after beating the first place team fair and square, we traveled to Linhamn (2th place) and got beat up 6-0. Pretty classic. Still high on the Tyringe win, we didn’t come to play the next day.
Lastly, we played Alvesta (6th place) at home yesterday and won convincingly 6-2 (James had a goal and an assist) which made for our 9th win at home in our last 10 home games. Not bad.
Our last regular season game is this Sunday against Jonstorp, away. Jonstorp is one place and two points behind us in the standings which makes this an important game. We win, we clinch a by in the first round of the relegation playoffs. Not insignificant.
