Release from 31.03.2023

Antti Karjalainen: "At the moment, everything is running on its own“

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HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice went into the finals of the Alps Hockey without a defeat, as only the second team after Asiago in 2018. A big part in that played goalkeeper Antti Karjalainen, who has not conceded more than two goals in any game so far in the playoffs and celebrated four shutouts. In the interview, the Finn explains why his team and in particular he personally are doing so well at the moment and how they will now bridge the time until the start of the finals.

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On Thursday at the Rittner Buam SkyAlps HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice made everything clear with a 6:1 away win, won the series 4:0 and thus moved confidently into the final of the Alps Hockey League for the second time in a row. JES goalie Antti Karjalainen was just twelve minutes short of his fifth shutout in the playoffs, but the 27-year-old was more than satisfied with his team's performance: "We played really well today. We were the better team and fortunately also converted our scoring chances. That gave us more confidence from the start than on Tuesday, where we didn't take advantage of the numerous chances."

The Slovenians remain undefeated with eight wins from eight playoff games. After Asiago in 2018, they are only the second team in the AHL to advance to the finals without a defeat. According to Karjalainen, they are in a flow right now, but that can quickly break: "You always have a run when you win, that's clear. At the moment, everything is running on its own, but we still have to stay focused and prepare for the finals. The momentum can also quickly shift to the other side."

Personally, the Finn is currently playing his best season, with only 1.45 goals against average in the Regular Season and a remarkable 0.6 goals against average in the playoffs. Only in one playoff game the Finnish champion of 2019 conceded two goals, and he celebrated a shutout no less than four times. Karjalainen attributes the personal success to the entire team: "I feel very good right now, but of course the team also helps a lot. It's a lot of fun to play together with my colleagues. If I manage a shutout, it is of course nice for everyone."

While Jesenice is already in the final, there are at least two games left in the second semifinal series between the Red Bull Hockey Juniors and S.G. Cortina Hafro. After four games everything is even, on Saturday the series will be continued in Salzburg (to the free livestream). Thus, Jesenice has enough time to prepare for the final opponent: "Of course, we will now analyze both possible final opponents in detail. But how the time until the final will look exactly, I don't know yet. I think we will get a few days off and then prepare specifically for the final."

Highlights Rittner Buam SkyAlps - HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice (game 4):