Now there are certainly at least 60 intense and nerve-wracking minutes left.
60 song-filled and drum-beating minutes.
60 battle-filled and tackling minutes.
But it is also 60 minutes to create magical memories for a Frölunda who snatched the racing car keys from Färjestad, jumped into the driver’s seat and stepped on the gas at the bottom.
Now it’s just a matter of following Roger Rönnberg’s GPS voice – and crossing the finish line just like Marcus Ericsson in the Indy 500.
The very first want, say.
“No one has deserved it more – than Joel Lundqvist”
And I think that we who condemned Frölunda HC to lose against Färjestad in advancethere were a lot of us besides, forgot the most important ingredient in this quarter final.
I call it Joel effects.
When I spoke before the rival meeting with a comeback Max Friberg, who hardly knew if he would be in the quarter-finals after his broken finger and two operations, he was very clear about one thing.
He knew that Frölunda would play for his soon-to-be-retired captain.
He knew the group had banded together – and clenched their fists.
“Every season we play with an enormous drive to win. We have that goal every year. Then I have the feeling that it really should go as well as it can – because Joel Lundqvist has deserved it most of all. Every effort we will make even a little harder and with more joy than before”, said Max Friberg.
And precisely this effect is what we are seeing at Frölunda HC right now.
Success breeds success – and Frölunda is better
The team has actually been significantly better than Färjestad in four out of five games – and leads fully deservedly with 3-2 in games before Monday night’s drama.
As is well known, success breeds success – and now even the reviled style of play that attack coach Anders Burström is responsible for is working.
Player after player is up on personal bests for the season.
From Lasse Johansson in goal via pretty much the entire backup set up to players like Anthony Greco, Loui Eriksson and Nicklas Lasu.
Frölunda has found the weaknesses of the reigning champion – and of course it is understandable that a team that has lost three national team defenders (Theodor Lennström, Ville Pokka and Mikael Wikstrand) will be seriously weakened at the back. How do you think Frölunda would look if Andreas Borgman, Christian Folin and Tom Nilsson were suddenly missing from the lineup?
Now Frölunda just has to make one last push on the gas pedal – and suddenly Jere Innala is available to play again.
The Finn is also at a personal best for the season – and could be the one who decides the semi-final spot.
In elite sports, all tricks are allowed to win, right?
By the way: Did you see the TV pictures when AIK coach Anton Blomqvist urged his players in a match that was already lost?
”Every time we can hit, we hit. We are probably not gonna win this game now, so let’s play dirty. Play dirty here”he commanded in English.
It was picked up by the microphone in the booth – and the coach was reported to the Disciplinary Committee.
Terrible? Nasty? Morally reprehensible?
Well, not in my ears. It’s elite sport – and there it’s always about defeating an opponent.
It’s not always pretty, but it’s words that are spoken every game when a team closes in on an opponent. It is just as obvious that it will be tackled extra hard against players who are back after an injury, just as obvious as that a team wants to stop the opponent’s very best with a pinch both here and there.
Just ask Ryan Lasch in Frölunda. He knows, if anyone.
The AIK coach also pointed out the words no shutdowns – and it should all have ended there.
The words that will be heard a little extra in the coming time
Finally: I have a feeling we’re going to hear the words One for all – all for Joel a little extra in the coming time.
That dream ending is suddenly much more real.
Tonight, 12,044 get to experience it.
READ ALSO: Joel Lundqvist is ready – for the last fight
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READ ALSO: It makes me believe that Frölunda actually has a reasonable chance
