Djurgården has had a miserable start to the SHL season and what has perhaps given the new coach Barry Smith the most trouble is the team’s weak starts in the matches.
Most recently against Oskarshamn, the Stockholm team fell on home ice after ending up in a 0-2 deficit just a couple of minutes into the first period. How long did Djurgården’s goalkeeper Mantas Armalis keep a clean sheet in the ensuing away match against Örebro?
42 seconds.
Robin Kovacs was left alone in front of the goal and was able to give Örebro a dream start – and that would not happen again for Djurgården just happened again.
But unlike most previous matches, the players this time scratched new courage.
– I think we make a good away match. Sure, we end up at a disadvantage in the first period but we have positive energy in the locker room and many of our juniors do a great job here today. I think it’s a big step forward from the last match. It’s fun to see, said team captain Marcus Sörensen to C More after two periods played.
At that point had Djurgården came back from a disadvantage twice.
Filiph Engsund first equalized after directing a finish from the hill Marc-André Gragnani. Jani Lajunen reproduced Örebro’s lead in powerplay but in the second period Djurgården equalized again.
Back Pontus Johansson dribbled through the entire opposing team before he was tripped with only goalkeeper Jhonas Enroth left to outwit. The referee signaled for a penalty, after which Marcus Sörensen stepped forward and put it 2-2.
– I tried to make a good shot, get up the speed a little and then put it high in the distance, said Sörensen about the goal which was his fifth of the season.
Djurgården also took the lead in the third period after Filip Cederqvist dug the puck into the net in a messy situation in Örebro’s goal area. The situation was reviewed afterwards but approved by the referee team.
Djurgården then had weathering on the second straight away win after 5-2 away against Timrå last weekend – but the joy was short-lived. Not even two minutes later, the Latvian Rodrigo Abols pushed his way through everything and everyone immediately after a technical in the offensive zone and sent in 3-3 behind Armalis.
The match went to extra time – where the home team was saved by an own goal. 16-year-old junior Leo Carlsson got all the credit for the 4-3 goal after a fine control against Mantas Armalis. But it was Djurgården’s Paul Carey who happened to steer the puck on the return behind his own goalkeeper.
– In overtime, anything can happen. The puck hit one of our players on the skate. Overall, I can not ask for more from the players. We just have no luck with the puck today, says Barry Smith to C More after the match.
The effort was a fall forward, but Djurgården still had to call its tenth loss after 13 rounds in the SHL. The team is second to last in the SHL with two points down to Timrå and four points up to safe ground.
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