The Ice Hockey Championship League culminates on Saturday this week, when many important rankings for the playoffs will be decided.
With two to three games left for the teams, there will be a fierce battle for the win in the regular season, a place in the top six and the last playoff spot.
The victory of the regular season is decided between Tappara and Ilves. KalPa, Pelicans, Kärpät, HIFK are fighting for places 4–7. TPS and Ässät decide places 8–9 and KooKoo, HPK and Jukurit fight for tenth place.
– Time can gild memories, maybe there have been such, but this is a pretty wonderful situation. If it’s a full round, then as an impartial viewer you can’t really choose one game on TV, you have to watch four or five games and follow the results, Urheilu’s expert Top Nättinen anneal.
– This is very unique, a league week like this should be enjoyed. You certainly don’t see these every year, Nättinen says.
Places 1-2:
Ilves (110 points / 32 three-point wins): Wed Kärpät (v), Fri Tappara (v), Sat HPK (k)
Tappara (110 / 31): Tue KalPa (v), Wed Sport (v), Fri Ilves (k)
Places 4-7:
KalPa (96 / 26): Tue Tappara (k), Fri Pelicans (v), Sat Lukko (k)
Pelicans (95 / 28): Wed Aces (v), Fri KalPa (k), Sat SaiPa (v)
Kärpät (95 /24): Wed Ilves (k), Sat Jukurit (k)
HIFK (94 / 24): Wed SaiPa (v), Fri TPS (v), Sat JYP (v)
The fight for the last playoff spot:
KooKoo (79 / 18): Wed JYP (v), Fri SaiPa (k), Sat TPS (v)
HPK (79 / 16): Fri JYP (k), Sat Ilves (v)
Jukurit (77 / 22): Thu Lukko (v), Sat Kärpät (v)
In the event of a tie, superiority is decided by three-point wins.
Tappara wins the regular season
Ilves and Tappara are having a tough fight for the regular season win, which may well be decided when the teams meet each other on Friday. Nättinen believes that Tappara will be higher on Saturday night.
Nättinen sees that the match schedule will turn the victory over to Tappara. The Blue Oranges will face KalPa and Sport, while Ilves will face Kärpät and HPK. He thinks it is possible that both of them will get a total of six points from these games.
– Tappara and Ilves are in tune, but it somehow feels that the Sport game is what turns the battle.
– Of course, the local games are 3–2 for Ilves, but I believe that Tappara will finally scratch that local game. However, it would be a bigger deal for Ilves as an organization and they would certainly appreciate it more.
Kräpt comes seventh
Based on the fitness scale of ten matches, KalPa (20 points), HIFK (19) and Pelicans (17) have been ahead of Kärppi. The superiority of Oulu residents in particular has been weak, around ten percent.
Nättinen believes that it is Kärpät who will jump to seventh place. The expert thinks it is likely that the routine built by KalPa and the Pelicans will keep them in fourth and fifth place, although HIFK can beat the wheels.
– HIFK’s first 30 matches were the worst in the club’s history in the three-point era, and now a record-long point streak has been played, and the good streak has continued with last week’s Kärpät victories.
Based on HIFK’s recent game performances, Nättinen thinks it is very likely that the team will take nine points at the expense of SaiPa, TPS and JYP.
– HIFK can get into the top four, which would be an incredible performance by that unfathomable bastard.
– Due to the circumstances of the moment and the volatility of the whole season, I believe that Kärpät will fall to seventh. It would be a complete disaster if they have to start their playoffs with pity players.
KalPa has a theoretical chance to rise to third place. If the weak Lukko bows to the Jukurei and KalPa wins against Tappara, Pelicans and in the last match Lukko, it has a chance to rise to third place thanks to three point victories.
KooKoo holds the top ten
KooKoo is currently in tenth place, qualifying for the last playoff spot. The team’s final schedule is easier than HPK and Jukurei, which favors a place in the playoffs.
– As the third best away team, KooKoo will face JYP and TPS away and SaiPa at home. They get at least six points, but nine is also completely acceptable. However, six points are enough to advance.
KooKoo has won five of their eight games and has only been left without points once.
– The team has been able to hang on tenaciously to the result. The last match was a poor performance, but there are also big wins from, for example, HIFK and Tappara.
Without pressure to the trough
According to Nättinen, it is clear that everyone would definitely prefer to choose the bottom teams instead of the top teams at the end of the regular season. However, he reminds that the opponents cannot be underestimated.
– You can always budget that there is nothing to do with Sport, JYP and SaiPa, but playing without pressure is an element that should not be underestimated.
– The players definitely want to hit everything in the last week. They have nothing to lose and can just let go.
The results from other matches circulating in the media cube of halls and arenas add their own spice to the soup.
– The players and teams are in the hall, the results are displayed on the screen and the public can watch how the game is played in another city. Weld, they lead. The feeling is definitely present in many places and I think the audience will find it in the halls.