The sensation of the SM league is ready! KalPa wonderfully for the medal games, champion favorite Ilves boringly for vacation | Sport

Kuopio’s KalPa makes a sensational progress to the medal games of the hockey SM league. The season of Tampere Ilves, which was one of the championship favorites, ended bitterly already in the quarterfinals.

Kuopio’s KalPa has cleared its way to the semi-finals of the hockey SM league as the first team. The surprise blow from Savoia got its seal when KalPa claimed a 4-2 away victory over Ilves of Tampere and secured their place in the semi-finals with a 4-1 win.

The season of Ilves, who finished second in the regular season, ended in bitter moods. KalPa entered the playoffs in seventh place in the regular season, but stretched brilliantly to the top four.

– KalPa plays for medals, a massive thing. KalPa was more active and closer to its level. By far. Great story, eight of our own grown ups in the team, Urheilu’s expert Top Nättinen glowed.

Special situations are of great importance in the playoffs, as is the case in this match series.

– KalPa did not concede a single underpowered goal in the entire match series, so their underpowered percentage was one hundred. It should also be remembered that KalPa’s goal was saved by the second keeper Stefanos Lekkas. Juha Jatkola KalPa’s number one goalkeeper would be healthy, Nättinen pointed out.

The disappointed Ilves fans booed their favorites in frustration when the final buzzer of the match had sounded.

– Now this is completely incomprehensible if you think about Ilves’ investments. A rough dive at the worst moment. Sport showed its best side again and Ilves its worst side. Nothing is played on paper, the matches are always played in the rink, Nättinen emphasized.

Oliver Kapanen continued his top spring

Ilves got a dream start to the match when Petr Kodytek scored a 1–0 goal after only 51 seconds of play. KalPa rose Jaakko Lantan hitting levels in 4:02.

The one who became the star player of the league spring playoffs Oliver Kapanen took KalPa to a 2–1 lead with superiority after six minutes had been played. The goal was already Kapanen’s fifth of the spring.

Just a moment later, Kapanen had a hard time when Ilves’ goal scorer Kodytek’s bat hit Kapanen in the face. Kapanen’s lip was badly cut open and he had to go to the locker room, but returned to the rink at the end of the opening set.

Kodytek received a 2+2 minute penalty for a high stick and Joona Ikonen for blocking the second one. KalPa was allowed to play with a two-man advantage, but could not take advantage of the situation.

Ilves scored an offside goal, KalPa had a wild power moment

Ilves started the second set strongly and got even. Ville Meskanen got this puck into the net Simon Stransky for a perfect pass. The 2–2 goal was scored in 23:20.

Ilves’ equalizer stirred emotions because, based on the delays, it seemed that the goal should have been rejected as offside. Meskanen seemed to have time to get out of bounds when Stransky brought the puck into the attack zone.

KalPa organized a moment of great power and scored two goals in just one minute and 15 seconds. Jaakko Rissanen pedaled past the Ilves defender from Niklas Friman and took KalPa to a 3–2 lead in 29:46.

A minute later, it was KalPa’s foursome’s turn to strike. Jaakko Lantta already scored his second goal of the evening and sent the Kuopio team to a two-goal lead with the game clock showing 31:01.

The pursuit of the lynx was unsuccessful

In the third period, Ilves had a tasty chance to score after five minutes had been played. Oula Palve was in a key role in the situation, but Niklas Friman’s finish hit the goal post.

Ilves lost his superiority and was still underpowered when the defender Adam Clendening got two minutes. Clendening tackled KalPa in the situation Kasper from Simontaiva.

The Tampere people’s pursuit did not yield results, and the evening ended with the Kuopio people’s party.