In the 1st quarter-final of the Ice Hockey Championship League, Tappara beat KooKoo 4-0 and Pelicans beat KalPa 2-1.
The main league champion and rested Tappara showed KooKoo, who needed a place in the locker during the match rush, and did not give the challenger a lead at any point.
Tappara’s power rested Jori Lehterän (2+1), Veli-Matti Savinainen (1+1) and Niko Ojamäki (1+1) on the shoulders. Christian Heljanko kept a clean sheet with 19 saves.
– This is a bit like being in a small box for a week and watching others play playoffs. It’s always great to score a goal in the playoffs when you have the feeling and mood, Savinainen, who scored only one goal in the last 17 games of the regular season, told STT.
Despite four setbacks, KooKoo’s best player was the goalkeeper Oskari Setänen.
– That was probably the level of the toughest team in Europe. They knew our match load and came really hard right from the start. It was hard to keep up with it. Now, however, we saw the level of requirements, and what we need to be able to do in the future. At least you have to play better with the puck in your own area, said Setänen.
Six games in eight days has been a tough start for KooKoo, who just a day ago played a decisive playoff game in Oulu (5–0 win) against Kärppi.
– After the game, a big portion of food and to sleep in a hotel in Oulu. After breakfast at 11:30 a.m. flight to Helsinki, where you’ll eat your heart out. From there, take a bus to Tampere and there will be some more meetings before the game. Nuclear waste comes at any time by any means of transport. This doesn’t bother us, we have fun together, Setänen laughed.
Setänen admitted that the two-day Huili will be in a good place this time.
– The batteries are fully charged. We’ll get to show the home crowd on Monday, and hopefully we’ll get extra boost from them to do it, KooKoo craftsman stated.
KooKoo’s key defender Charle-Edouard D’Astous received a shower command at the end of the match for a tackle on the head or neck area, which was directed at Tappara Waltteri to Merelää.
Pelicans improved their play, KalPa didn’t
KalPa got off to a great start in Lahti and took a 1–0 lead, but in the future, the people from Kuopio were not able to perform consistently and the pace of the game fizzled from time to time. Instead, the Pelicans improved their play from a sticky start and managed to turn the game around.
Joni Ikonen brought the Pelicans level as a result of a good corner play at the end of the second period, and Tyler Kelleher directed a 2–1 winning goal from the corner of the goal Ben Blood’s for a brilliant pass in the final set.
– We patiently play our game regardless of the result and we all believe in it. We were a little on our feet at the beginning of the match, but we improved from that, Pelicans forward Leevi Tukainen take note.
Defender Jesper Mattila scored the opening goal for KalPa with his first goal of the season during the deferred penalty.
– The beginning of the match was good for us, the second set was really bad, and we couldn’t really get anywhere under the pressure. We improved in the third set, but not enough. There was room for improvement for tomorrow. It’s also getting tight. The most important thing is that we quickly get to our own, good level, Mattila emphasized.
KalPan Kasper Simontaival took a hit to the head from the Pelicans’ Swedish pack From Anton Myllär, who, after a video review, received the command to shoot at the end of the first round. Myllari is threatened with a suspension.
The quarterfinals of the SM league continue on Saturday with matches starting at 17:00 Ilves–Ässät and KalPa–Pelicans and Lukko–HIFK starting at 18:30.