Jokerit coach Tomek Valto's strong comment on the Liiga promotion

The Jokerit won the Mestis final series third match by defeating Ketterä at Veikkaus Areena on Good Friday with a score of 5–0. Jokerit’s head coach Tomek Valtonen commented on the match in an interview with SuomiKiekko after the game.

– We improved from the second game, and because of that, we were able to win today.

If the final series is decided in tomorrow’s match in Imatra, Friday’s encounter was the last home game of the season for Jokerit. The home crowd created a frenzy in the final moments of the match that is rarely seen in Finnish ice hockey.

According to Valtonen, however, the series is not over yet.

– We are not getting ahead of ourselves. We still have a game tomorrow. The support was great, and it’s wonderful to play here. The crowd was amazing again.

After two evenly matched battles in the series, Friday’s clash was clearly dominated by the home team. However, the head coach believes there is still room for improvement.

– Time will tell if this is enough tomorrow. We need to be able to improve, and that has been our theme in the playoffs, to develop from game to game.

Although it is known that Jokerit will play in the Liiga next season, Valtonen does not want to focus on the future just yet.

– We are playing Mestis now and not getting ahead of ourselves. I take my hat off to the players, as there have been many changes, but the focus has remained on playing and the commitment has been fantastic.

It is possible that the teams in the final series will meet again next season in the Liiga. Ketterä announced on Friday that they will be applying for a league license for the upcoming season. Jokerit was granted permission back in February.

Valtonen does not want to comment on the matter any further.

– The teams that play in the league will meet there.

The fourth match of the Mestis final series will start at the Lappeenranta sports park tomorrow, Saturday, at 5:00 PM.