HV71 Vs. Brynäs IF

Xmas break calls Sweden, and Sweden calls Ice Hockey!

One of my favourite Xmas Swedish traditions - I know, it’s not properly a Swedish tradition, but it is for me! - is the HV71 match!

This year we had really amazing tickets: third row at the level of the offensive line. If it wasn’t for the protective plexiglass in between that gave some weird reflections, I think I had a better position than the official photographers!

Reality is that I was there to enjoy the match, and I really did, but at the same time I couldn’t avoid to bring along my camera and the new Sigma 70-200mm lens!

For this reason, and also for not bothering the other spectators next to me with a pretty massive lenses swinging back and forward, I limited myself at taking pictures only during the brakes, or at least when the game wasn't at full speed.

I must admit that with the limited light and the ice hockey typical fast action - or at least moving subjects -  my little D3200 really struggled…. the fast lens (f 2.8) helped out a lot, but still in order to have decently fast shutter speed I had to rise up the ISO quite a lot losing in image quality. In addition to all of this, the plexiglas really freaked out the auto-focus system, so out of several dozens of pictures I have saved just very few….

Obviously it’s always easy to blame the gear, but this was also the first time I was shooting ice hockey. Well, actually the first time I shot any professional sport, so there might be quite some mistakes from my side too!

HV71 had the lead for the whole match, and all the player seemed very confident about their means

I didn’t really keep the statistics, but I felt like HV won almost all the face-offs.

Having those seats really made me feeling like being on the ice!

Of course there were few fights, and some power-play situations. Here Jere Karalahti - according to me the MVP of the match - is sent out for a foul. I feel like this is the best shot of the match.

Still Jere Karalahti while sitting out

Just few minutes before the end of the match, Campoli and Daniel Brodin from Brynäs IF started a quite big fight.

They were both sent directly to the changing room.

HV71 won the match and, as tradition wants, all the players went celebrating and thanking the goolie.

Each time I watch an ice hockey match I really feel like I need to go and see more of them, but unfortunately neither in Italy or in Luxembourg there is a big ice hockey movement…. let's see if I manage to see another match before the end of the season, or even one of the NHL!