SaiPa, coached by Raimo Helminen, lost to Tappara this time, but despite that got to the Christmas break as league leader of the hockey league.
21.12. 19:54•Updated 21.12. 20:26
Tappara dug out a quick revenge in less than a day from SaiPa, but had to do a sweaty day’s work for their 1–0 victory. The only hit of the match Daniel Brickley with the superiority of two men in the opening set.
– A tight game in which Tappara was better today, summed up SaiPa’s pilot in charge Raimo Helminen in short, top game.
Kirvesrinnat came second in the series over Helsinki IFK, but the sensational team of the autumn season SaiPa was able to keep its first place with a margin of two points and a handsome pot of 63 points.
– Of course we are satisfied with the early season points. Maybe this has been too good a season so far. Now it’s time to relax a little. A long season is ahead. It’s enough for me that we play this way until the end, Helminen said.
Juha Metsola needed 19 saves for his first shutout of the season. With his 31st clean sheet in his career, Metsola in the Tappara shirt jumped to the top alone in the all-time clean sheet statistics, passing Mika Lehton (30 draws).
A year ago, no one would have believed that a hockey team called SaiPa would gather a total of nearly 21,000 spectators for two games in the Tampere arena within two weeks.
Tappara’s coach Rikard Grönborg would talk about the opponent’s players despite the victory.
– I have great respect for the way SaiPa is playing at the moment. However, I am disappointed that I think the (SaiPan) Petman brothers, who are great players in this league, have their own rulebook. One tackles to the head and the other gives a kick to the opponent’s back, but no whistle is blown for them. Both quite clear five-minute penalties, Tappara-piiskuri assesses.
With this Grönborg was referring to SaiPa’s attackers To Ville Petman and Mikko Petmani.
– In addition, you can scoop starts for your own team against the rule book. We told the linjurs about it, but they don’t care about it, Grönborg criticized.
Difficult for HIFK, reason to smile for Kärpi
Eemil Erholtz the hat trick sealed Ässie’s 4–2 victory over HIFK. In the second round Luke Martin (1+1) and Joonas Rask (1+1) brought HIFK into the game, but Peter Tiivolan the locker room hit brought peace of mind to the boiler.
HIFK has lost four of its last five games. The people of Helsinki were missing a lot of important players, such as the first team duo Jori Lehterä and Kristian Vesalainen.
Kärpät got to the Christmas break in a six-game point streak by defeating Vaasan Sport 4–0.
They excelled as scorers Patrik Virta, Ben Tardiff, Austin Rueaschhoff and the one at the top of the points exchange with 45 points Reid Gardinerwho scored his 22nd hit of the season with a power play. Only 13 shots for the one who saved To Tomi Karhus the clean sheet was the first of the season.
In their last six games Ville Mäntymaan the troops have won five, and the series ranking has improved to ninth in a couple of weeks. Kärpät kept a clean sheet three times in just over a week.
Hyvävireisen Sport’s nine-game point streak got a dull point in Raksila.
A more rested Jukurit beat TPS 5–4 with two Peter Abandonato and with one Aleks Haatanen with a last minute goal. Out of their last five games, the team from Mikkeli, which is the bottom of the series, has won a promising four. TPS’ budding two-game winning streak ended.
They were responsible for TPS goals Eetu Päkkilä, Aidan Dudas, Lukas Wernblom and Max Lindroth. Viljami Marjala contributed three TPS hits.
Having completed his 16th hit of the season for KalPa by Matyas Kantner and by Patrick Curry the goals remained consolation goals, as tenacious league champions Kiekko-Espoo came from behind twice to finally win the game 3–2.
KalPa has won only one of its last seven games. Kiekko-Espoo’s three-game losing streak was broken by Peter Quenneville with a penalty kick.
KooKoo picked up his fourth straight win by crushing the defender Kalle Loponen Ilves with a 5-4 overtime goal. The hosts took the shots in the fight as much as 72–42.
Key attackers from the Tampere team, among others, were on the sidelines Eemeli Finland, Jens Lööke and Lukas Svejkovsky.
Pelicans’ “new arrival” brought the second three-point victory of the week to the Lahti team. The lock went wrong 5–2 in Rauma. Joona Kumpula (1+2), Ryan Lasch (1+1) and Lars Bryggman (1+1) were the power packs of the winners.
The head coach Juhamatti Yli-Junnila got more peace of mind during a great week. Lock coach Tomi Lämsa instead, he didn’t get to celebrate the victory in honor of his new contract extension.