Ilves and SaiPa were the best teams in the series according to the fitness scale of the last 10 league matches. The only game of the hockey league on Monday gathered no fewer than 9,685 spectators.
21:00•Updated 21:18
Raimo Helminen SaiPa’s amazing winning streak ended in 14 games in the hockey league on Monday in Tampere.
SaiPa’s previous loss was on the 18th of October, when Lukko beat the eastern giants 5–3 in Rauma.
Jarkko Parikan The knuckle lift led Ilves to a 2–1 victory in extra time in 61.58. The hit was the defender’s second of the season.
The point was only SaiPa’s first from the Tampere arena, but the Lappeenranta team is still the only team in the league that has yet to win at the new Tampere puck sanctuary.
– There was hard torque and it was steady. It could have ended either way. You shouldn’t put your head in the bush here, comments Helminen.
Just before the final nail, the Czech goalkeeper of Ilves Jakub Malek22, knocked over SaiPa’s gold helmet with his glove Ville Petman’s penalty shootout in overtime and shouted out the Tampere audience with his save.
– We are on a good run and even now it was a good game, we just didn’t score enough goals. We partially controlled the game. The own (penalty shot) attempt did not go in this time, said Ville Petman.
Tommi Niemelän the victory was the third in a row for the protected roads. The shots in the match were scored for SaiPa no less than 70–40.
– My colleague (Helminen) was quite grumpy (at the media conference). In the name of truth, SaiPa was better today for a long time.
– Big praise must be given to the tenacity of my own team and to the goalkeeper Malek. We left a lot of legs and physique on yesterday’s Oulu train. An excellent opponent, and it’s no wonder that victories have come from the conveyor belt, Niemelä praised SaiPaa.
After a scoreless opening set again, SaiPa took a 1–0 lead with superiority at the start of the second set, when the pier of the second chain Viktor Granholm passed Malek, who made a good save. The hit was the Norwegian striker’s fifth of the season.
Ilves captain, defender Niklas Friman surprised SaiPa’s goaltender with NHL experience by Michael Hutchinson easily with a gloved hand in 33:28.
Saipa shares the all-time winning streak record Second place in the SM league together with Ässie (2013–2014) and Ilves.
The longest winning streak of all time in the SM league – 17 straight winning games – is and will remain in the name of the Kärppie from the fall of 2013.
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