Oulun Kärpät kept their finals dream alive when the team defeated the Pelicans in the semi-finals of the Hockey SM League in their home arena Teemu Turunen With a 1–0 goal, just over two minutes before the end of regular time.
The Pelicans lead the semifinal series with a 3–1 win. On Saturday, in Lahti, it has a chance to grab a place in the final for the second time.
– In my opinion, Kärpät deserved the victory today. They came to the match with a really hard fighting look and worked hard. That’s how they scored that one goal. Maybe too many two-layer people from us, we weren’t quite ready, Pelicans coach Tommi Niemelä said.
In Oulu, the goalkeepers were a big part. And stopped 27 shots by Kärppien Tomi Karhunen that he saved 21 pucks in the Pelicans’ goal Niklas Kokko were excellent.
– “Karhu” (Karhunen) played a really good game with a goal, and someone had to score that goal. For once I drove to the goal, and not behind the goal. It was worth it, said Turunen.
The home team’s coaching tightened up the game at the end of the third period, when Kärpät left the bench Joose Antonen, Aleksi Antti-Roiko and Peter Tiivolan.
– In terms of maturity and doing winning things, perhaps Snaps was taken forward, says Kärppie’s responsible coach Ville Mäntymaa.
Pelicans gold helmet Ryan Lasch played strongly, but lost, among other things, two passes in the match. Completed four playoff game-winning goals Lars Bryggman also directed the puck past the goal from the visitors from the parade ground once.
Pelicans defenseman Kasper Puutio there was no regret even that the people of Lahti were not allowed to take the match to the overtime from the glorious position of the last seconds.
– We didn’t get quite the same drive as the opponent, who had a place to break. A new attempt on Saturday, when we will still stay on the puck and grind our own game, Puutio said.
Tappara is effective, KalPa is not
Tappara beat KalPa 4–0 in Kuopio and took the lead in the series with a 3–1 win. The reigning champion and regular season winner have the first place to seal a place in the final tomorrow, Saturday in Tampere.
On Friday, the teams had a big difference in clinicalness, in scoring, where Tappara was ahead of the home team. KalPa got frustrated in the chase, took stupid penalties, which partly turned off the letter gear. Tappara could afford to waste even his position of superiority.
– The deciding factors of the match were that Tappara was more efficient and duller, Christian Heljanko prevented a clean sheet with 30 saves and KalPa took too many ice breaks (7×2 min). Even Oliver Kapanen became wonderfully hot and Juuso Mäenpää was invisible from KalPa, commented ‘s expert Top Nättinen.
Petteri Puhakka gave Tappara a 1–0 lead after only 38 seconds of play Oiva Keskinen and by Nick Halloran from brilliant performances. Nice and effective direct attack, no other hits were seen in the set.
In the second, emotional set, the team from Tampere was responsible for scoring. Otto Somppi scooped the offensive end’s kickoff win, from which the defender Brother Matti Vittasmäki got to warm up for Tappara with a 2–0 goal in 32.04.
KalPa had good chances to tie the game before Tappara’s second goal, but Heljanko made more important saves than the other. Just before the 2–0 goal KalPan Jesper Mattilan the shot from the top position stopped in Heljango’s Urheiluruutu save, the flipper.
– We were careless today, and the game was not particularly good from us. We couldn’t beat the opponent with goals, Heljango’s clean sheet shows that. The performance and actions on Saturday must be such that we will still be playing here in Kuopio on Monday, KalPa’s head coach Petri Karjalainen stated.
KalPa striker Benjamin Korhonen admitted that there was not enough to do with the team.
– Overcharging from us. The goal-scoring and its support measures were pretty much taken care of today. And you can’t let the guy into the goal posts that much, added Korhonen.
4th semi-finals (with 4 wins to the final):
KalPa – Tappara 0–4 (0–1, 0–1, 0–2)
00.38 0–1 Puhakka (Middle, Halloran)
32.04 0–2 Vittasmäki (Somppi)
58.20 0–3 Puhakka (Granath, Rauhala) etc
59.09 0–4 Baptiste (Rauhala, Leskinen) etc
Flies – Pelicans 1–0 (0–0, 0–0, 1–0)
57.39 1–0 Turunen (Junttila, Ohtamaa)
Tappara and Pelicans lead the semifinal series with 3–1 wins. On Saturday, the 5th semi-finals in Tampere and Lahti.