This quarter-final will be an amazing show of puck romance – the expert told which teams will rush to the semi-finals of the SM league and why

The quarterfinals of the SM league start on Friday 17.3. with matches Pelicans–KalPa and Tappara–KooKoo. Puheen Ice Hockey Tour at 18:15. From now on, the ice hockey round will be present at all spring playoff games.

We went through the quarterfinals of the SM league, which start on Friday evening.

Sports expert Top Nättinen evaluate how the series is going and what are the decisive factors.

Tappara (1st in the regular season) – KooKoo (10th)

Reigning champion Tappara also won the regular season again. If Tappara goes to the semifinals, this will be the club’s tenth consecutive playoff spring among the four. Nine times was already a new record.

KooKoo is in the playoffs for the third straight season. Last season, KooKoo was a spring sensation in the semi-finals. Tappara got on the road with a 4–1 win. In the bronze match, Ilves was better.

In this season’s regular season meetings, the wins were 2–2. However, there is no ambiguity about the pre-favorites when the regular season winner and the tenth are facing each other. KooKoo has a huge backlog of matches: tonight’s Tappara game is its sixth in ten days.

– Tappara is ahead in all statistics. Tappara’s only weakness, or a small setback in the regular season, was playing as a goalkeeper, expert Topi Nättinen says.

KooKoo’s goalkeeper Oskari Setänen robbed at the end of the regular season From Nick Malik the first keeper position and rejected Kärpät for the summer holidays with a percentage of 95.24 in the opening round of the playoffs. Tapparan Christian Heljangon the save percentage in the regular season was 89.11.

– I wouldn’t give too much weight to it, though. Heljango had a great time in the CHL and last season he was able to win the Finnish championship.

In any case, the goalkeeper game is where KooKoo can beat Tappara, according to the expert. In addition, Alivoima has been slightly weaker than usual in Tappara – Tappara’s av percentage was 80.13 in the regular season, KooKoo’s 79.70.

– KooKoo’s opportunity is a great spirit, faith and confidence in doing things. In terms of play, they are able to challenge, and certainly decide to challenge, with their own help, with their brave puck play.

– Things are fine with KooKoo, but Tappara’s way of playing is even better, because they have better players and it works more efficiently.

Nättinen estimates that KooKoo can surprise at the beginning, but the material advantage and the stress difference are clear.

– At Tappara, it can take a while for things to start, but it doesn’t take very long.

Expert’s assessment: Tappara wins 4–1 in the semi-finals.

Pelicans (4th) – KalPa (5th)

Facing each other are the season’s biggest positive surprises, who before the start of the season were speculated to be fighting for at most the last playoff spots. The teams fought until the end for the home advantage of the quarterfinals, instead of four.

Out of Pelicans’ 12 quarter-finals, the team has cleared its way to the next stage only once, in Silver Spring 2012. Pelicans have lost their previous six playoff series.

KalPa has two SM silvers and one bronze. The last time KalPa was among the four was in the silver spring of 2017, when it beat the Pelicans in the quarterfinals.

In this season’s regular season, the Pelicans won their meetings 3–1.

The match pair is the most well-rounded of the quarter-finals, but at the same time possibly the most interesting match pair. Both teams play initiative and brave puck.

Expert Nättinen’s gut feeling is that KalPa has more routines and know-how suitable for the playoffs.

– Then again, the Pelicans are in such a strong mood that if the players continue at the same level, the Pelicans have a clear chance with their flow.

According to Nättinen, playing goalie is equal, he played for the Pelicans then Jasper Patrikainen or Patrik Bartosak. KalPa’s starting point guard Juha Jatkola. Other statistics also predict a very even torque.

– I would believe that we will see goals. Fresh game, let’s go end to end, the results of the games may vary. One match can end 6–1 and then the next 1–1. Anything between four and seven games can happen here.

Nättinen claims that the Pelicans’ home advantage can prove to be decisive. In addition, the difference may arise from the Pelicans’ open-mindedness and the head coach Tommi Niemelän of tactical prowess.

Expert’s assessment: Pelicans into the semi-finals with a 4–3 win.

Lynx (2nd) – Aces (8th)

Last season, Ilves returned to the SM medals since 2001, when it captured the bronze medals. Last season, Ilves beat Kärpät in the quarterfinals 4–3, but lost to TPS in the semifinals, winning 2–4.

Ässät was the worst in the SM league last season, 15th in the regular season. Now the team returned to the playoffs after a break of a couple of seasons. In the opening round of the playoffs, the team from Pori put the TPS of the previous year’s championship silver team on vacation. The last time Ässät was in the semifinals was in the 2012–13 season, when they also won the SM gold.

In the regular season, the wins were 2–2. If the match series between Pelicans and KalPa is fascinating in terms of gameplay, the series between Ilves and Ässien can be expected to be a tough show as far as the fans are concerned.

– I can immediately see the atmosphere. In Tampere the arena is full, in Pori Isomäki is full. Great fans. In terms of atmosphere, the two loudest home teams, Nättinen enthused.

Ässät got the TPS series on fire with its fight and the audience on fire.

– Pori’s identity, I believe, has been restored, at least for the time being.

– For them, things are based on defense, commitment and Niklas Rubin for top goalkeeping. The big problem is scoring. Against TPS, it took almost 20 minutes to gain superiority in order to get one superiority goal.

Ilves shook things up in October by changing the head coach Jouko Myrrä to Antti Pennane. Although Pennanen had a shaky start, Ilves played brilliantly in the last quarter of the regular season. In the last 15 regular season matches, Ilves was the best in the league.

– Absolutely mindless gunfire. Superiority works, the league’s best goalkeeper (Marek Langhamer), width is found. Pennanen’s additions to the whole, to the collective balance, that it’s not just the organ open – let’s go, which was more during Myrrä’s time, Nättinen enumerates.

Nättinen believes that the Aces’ battle can last two or three games, but Ilves’ material superiority, skill and special situations are much tougher than what TPS had to face against Pori.

– The spirit will carry you to a point, but when you come up against such a high-quality attacking team, Ässät can’t do it just by defending. Then again, they don’t really have much to offer when it comes to attacking play if they find themselves chasing two goals.

– Here is an opportunity for a great play. In terms of sporting romance, I want to give Ässi two wins.

Expert’s assessment: Ilves into the semi-finals with a 4–2 win.

Lukko (3rd) – HIFK (6th)

Lukko won the championship in 2021, but missed last season, the first Marko Virtanen under, tenth in the regular season. In the end, in the quarterfinals, Tappara was too much.

HIFK was fifth in the regular season last season and lost seven games to TPS in the quarterfinals.

The teams’ curves in the regular season pointed solidly in different directions. HIFK had a historically bad start to the season, but managed to get straight into the playoffs. HIFK was the fourth best in the fitness scale of the last ten regular season games.

Lukko, on the other hand, ended the regular season miserably. In the fitness scale of the last ten matches, only Sport was weaker.

– The rankings are close, but Lukko was miserable the last ten matches. Individuals have had pain, for example Jere Karjalainen one goal in 14 games, Anrei Hakulinen one goal in nine matches.

The goalkeeper kept his level best in difficult moments Artyom Zagidul. According to the expert, Luko’s biggest misfortune has been superiority.

– However, they have the experience of being a dominant team in this series. Now they got an important physical and mental break. In terms of exercise, you can’t do anything amazing, but your mind and body rested.

– HIFK, on ​​the other hand, went without points only four times in 2023. Top individuals – Kristian Vesalainen, Iiro Pakarinen, Eetu Koivistoinen, Julius Nättinen, Juha Jääskäthe goalkeeper Roope Taponen – found that grain. They have really good starting points.

According to Nättinen, HIFK’s individuals at the top level are now clearly ahead of Lukko. But Luko’s lock can be opened if the team finds a black mark, how collectively and actively it shone in the first 45 games.

– HIFK’s game is very strongly based on individuals. There’s toast to go. Everything has settled down, faith and self-confidence have grown, they are incredibly important things.

Despite this, Nättinen believes that Lukko has gotten his work in order enough during the short break, is able to be active and put enough pressure on HIFK’s defenders. It can be enough to black out individuals from Helsinki.

Expert’s assessment: Lock into the semi-finals with a 4–3 win.

The quarterfinals of the SM league start on Friday 17.3. with matches Pelicans–KalPa and Tappara–KooKoo. Puheen Ice Hockey Tour at 18:15. From now on, the ice hockey round will be present at all spring playoff games.