Did someone say 2004, Esbjerg and Bo Nordby?
It was not a completely identical ending to the one the hockey crowd witnessed in the Sparekassen Danmark Isarena when Aalborg Pirates lost the first semi-final match against Esbjerg, but there is certainly one or two of the more seasoned spectators who had a brief flashback to the traumatic end for Aalborg fans from 2004 when they saw Tuesday’s end.
Of course, it wasn’t a game seven in a finals series, but it was a defeat that the Aalborg Pirates team can beat themselves to sleep over for the next few nights.
When Søren Dietz Larsen thrashed the puck into the goal with less than seven minutes left in the game, the majority of the 3630 spectators thought that Aalborg Pirates would take the first stab in the semi-final series against Esbjerg Energy.
Dietz Larsen’s missile of a score brought Aalborg to 4-2, and the course of the game so far suggested that it was a decisive lead that had been created here.
That impression was still strong in the picture on the edge of the last two minutes of the third period, but out of nowhere Ludwig Stenlund reduced the score for the West Jutland with exactly two minutes left. The goal occurred after careless puck movement from Anders Koch, who sold his team in that situation.
The worst fears of a sensational West Jutland comeback were dampened, however, when Gordon Ballhorn went out in the penalty box with one minute and 38 seconds left in the game. Thus, the Pirates were in the lead for the rest of the match, if they did not score.
Everything else being equal, it should be enough to drive home the victory safely, but a puck loss from Jeppe Jul and a collectively bad running back later, Philip Larsen scored to make it 4-4.
The goal stood, although it was both seen through for kicking movement and offside. It called for a fourth period, which developed in Esbjerg’s favor when Søren Dietz Larsen was fouled in the penalty box. On the subsequent power play, Joshua Winquist scored to make it 5-4 and thus completed a rarely seen comeback.
The second match in the semi-final series will be played on Friday in Esbjerg.
2024-03-26 21:55:52
#Aalborg #copied #legendary #meltdown