How things change.

Take a quick look at this:

League table before 04.10.11

19 Jokerit
19 Assat
19 Pelicans
19 Karpat
17 KalPa
14 Lukko
14 Blues
11 SaiPa
9 Ilves
8 Tappara
7 HIFK
7 JYP
7 HPK
6 TPS

League table since 04.10.11

21 KalPa
19 TPS
18 Pelicans
16 Assat
16 HIFK
13 JYP
10 Jokerit
10 HPK
 9 Tappara
 8 Lukko
 8 Blues
 6 Karpat
 6 SaiPa
 3 Ilves

What an incredible turnaround it has been. At the start of October things were looking very grim indeed, confidence was low, play was sloppy and players looked disinterested. To be honest, I wondered what, if anything could be done about it.
Then they travelled to Pori and ground out a magnificent 0-1 victory, despite having three players given their marching orders and seeing off a very late goal-that-wasn't. Since then, Tepsi have been formidable, dropping just the one point at home, the overtime win against Jokerit. TPS currently have the longest unbeaten streak in the league. Whatever has produced this turnaround in fortunes?

1. Injury to Schwarz.
Marek had a decidedly dodgy start to the season, being at fault for a howler after only seven seconds in the league opener. It took him a while to get going and he finally got into his stride in the win over HIFK where he was magnificent. Then came a back injury which allowed Ahlqvist an extended run in the side. Alexis now boasts the third best save percentage in the league. He's less prone to grievous errors, such as Schwarz's against Blues on Sunday, and the confidence he plays with has flowed outwards to the rest of the team. Schwarz will have his work cut out to regain his position as starter.

2. Special teams.
As the third most penalised team in the league, the improvement in special teams has reaped rewards. The powerplay could still do with some improvement, but when a man down they look very assured. Ryan Stone has been magnificent, throwing his all into the penalty kill and getting in the grill of the netminder on the powerplay. The improved penalty kill has led to a few shorthanded chances, including the one that led to Tapio Laakso's delightful penalty shot. The improved special teams seems to be a facet of the next point...

3. Better organisation.
Where as the play was fairly ramshackle at the start of the season, these days everybody seems well aware of their job and are willing to commit to it. The passing is a lot more fluid, especially when cycling the puck in the offensive zone.

4. All lines contributing.
Birner-Plihal-Vahalahti may not be the most potent top line in the league, but whilst Tepsi's fortunes hinged on their performances at the start of the season, now opposition teams need to do more than simply shut them down to win the game. The pace and shot of Anttila on the second is a completely different threat to that which the first line pose. Despite their limited ice time, even the fourth line forwards are causing their opponents problems. The performance in depth of the team is of course in part down to...

5. A healthy team.
Aside from the blessing in disguise Schwarz injury mentioned previously, the number of healthy players in the squad has generally been on the up in recent weeks. This adds competition in the squad and eases pressure on those who were struggling with responsibility their talents didn't account for.

6. Scalzo for Raboin.
Raboin left the club at its lowest point. Initially it left us threadbare on an already week defensive unit. However, I can't honestly say that the defence looked significantly worse after his departure. The addition of Mario Scalzo on the other hand has noticeably impacted the defence. He already looks very comfortable in the line up and his experience in the game shows. His offensive ventures seem more productive than those of Raboin, who scurried up the wing whilst Scalzo charges through the centre.

7. My friend Giovanni started going to games.
His presence obviously has zero impact on the actual game, but sports and superstition go hand in hand, so I thought it would be prudent to mention. He won't be at Saturday's game, so if Rauma win, we all know who to blame.

All in all it finally feels good to be a TPS fan in season 2011-12. It looked like another long season was in store but Pekka Virta has done a magnificent job in turning things around. I better start putting money aside for my playoff fund.