Hämeenlinna came from behind to beat JYP 2-1 in the Liiga on Friday evening. The result defied every expectation, especially after the visitors had won every game they had played this season. By then, the home side were already 14th in the table with five defeats to their name.
Neither side had accumulated points yet, which speaks to the early nature of the campaign rather than any unusual scoring system. Hämeenlinna sit on the floor after eight matches, while JYP occupy third after six. The gap between them on the table is purely a matter of games played.
The home side's recent run reads like a rollercoaster. They lost 3-0 to Jokerit on Monday, but before that they had edged Ässät 5-4 and beaten TPS Turku 3-1. The 0-7 thrashing by Kalpa in their opening match cast a long shadow, and three losses in their last four games suggested momentum was moving the wrong way.
JYP's form was immaculate until this evening. They beat Helsingfors 4-3 on Wednesday, then Peliikan Lahti 3-1, Jokerit 4-2, Kukkoo 5-3, and Lukko 5-0 away. Six wins from six matches, all with clean sheets in the standings. They came to Hämeenlinna as overwhelming favourites.
We had backed the visitors to win, with 43 per cent confidence. The prediction was wrong, and not through any half-measure. Hämeenlinna simply refused to fold when the scoreboard suggested they should have.
The win moves Hämeenlinna off the bottom of the table, even if only temporarily. JYP's unbeaten run comes to an end, and third place now looks less certain than it did before kickoff.
