You always want to see a goaltender get into an early-season rhythm, and that’s especially the case with 20-year old Topias Leinonen as he settles in with his new team Mora IK after an injury riddled 2023-24 campaign that him appear in just 12 games with three different clubs.
The first step in gaining rhythm is getting assigned starts. From there, you want to see regular shots coming in. Leinonen earned the first two starts as Mora began its regular season, pushing off from the dock with a 1-1 record, but it’s difficult to say he achieved any rhythm in games where he faced 14 and 16 shots that included extended periods of inactivity
That changed Wednesday as Leinonen was plenty busy, making 29 saves on 32 shots to backstop Mora to a 6-3 victory over IK Oskarshamn. The work was steady and Leinonen got into the game early stopping 12 of 13 in the opening frame. He stopped all eight shots in the middle period before allowing a pair of goals on 11 shots in the final period.
Leinonen made several quality stops in the victory. Some were bigger than others.
Midway through the third period with Mora holding a 4-2 lead, Leinonen had to push from his right to left to make a sprawling save to close the door on an uncontested opportunity and keep it a two-goal game. At the next stoppage in play, a review determined that Leinonen got over in time before the puck had crossed the line.
Oskarshamn would get one back on the very next shift, but the Mora goal support kept coming. Leinonen, who fended off two of three power plays in the contest, had to stay sharp in the final 3:40 of regulation as Oskarshamn brought a heavy attack with their net empty.
The victory improves Leinonen to 2-1 on the season with a 2.70 GAA and .869 save%.
With his confidence (and save percentage) rising, there is a good chance that Mora coach Daniel Hermansson will keep his young goalie in rhythm with another start when his club faces Vimmerby on Friday.
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