Like last year, Tappara and Pelicans will meet in the final match series of the SM league. Konsta Hirvonen of Pelicans decided the final place for Lahti in the overtime.
In the Ice Hockey SM League, we will see a repeat of last season’s finals, when Tappara and the Pelicans made it to the spring finals series this year as well.
The reigning champion Tappara defeated KalPa at home 3–1 and advanced to the finals with a 4–1 victory. The team is playing in the finals for the ninth time in the last 12 years.
Pelicans also secured their place in the finals with a 4–1 victory, when they beat Kärpät 2–1 in the overtime. The team from Lahti, which won silver last year, has also played in the finals in the 2011-2012 season, when it won silver.
Heljanko rejected, the surprise names decided
In Tampere, KalPa started the game cheerfully, but Tappara keeper Christian Heljanko kept his team in the game, and the axebreasts got into the game as the set progressed.
Defender Brother Matti Vittasmäki led Tappara in the second period in the 100th playoff game of his career. Vittasmäki, who also scored in yesterday’s match, has put together 2+4=6 performances in the spring playoffs.
Vittasmäki, who has played in the SM league since the 2008–2009 season, has now scored five playoff goals in his career.
Petteri Puhakka Vittasmäki did a skillful preliminary to hit. At first he seemed to be trying to dribble, but he passed the puck to Vittasmäki.
At the beginning of the final set, Tapparan Brother Matti Savinainen arranged the puck at the end of the corner twist To Philip Granath, who ran away to score. The hit was his first in the playoffs.
KalPan Kasper Simontaival narrowed the match to 2–1 with 11 minutes left in the match. Tappara finished the score at 3–1 with an empty net Otto Rauhala.
Tight again in Lahti, Hirvonen decided in the overtime
The meeting between the Pelicans and the Kärppi was, like the previous matches, even in terms of goals.
Pelicans dominated the opening set in Lahti to their heart’s content and took a 1-0 lead against Kärppi Norwegian pack Johannes Johannesen on goal at the end of the counterattack. The hit was the Norwegian’s first of the spring.
The hosts took the shots in the opening set by as many as 25–8.
The second set was goalless, but in the third Kärppien Arttu Hyry equalized with the team’s first advantage in 53.48, and a decision was sought in the overtime.
A good minute passed into the overtime period, when the goalkeeper scored the decisive goal Tomi Karhusen back sealed Konsta Hirvonen.
– Especially the first two sets were really good. Something got caught in the third, but luckily we improved for that overtime, Hirvonen commented after the match.