In Helsinki, we saw the 7th longest match in SM league history, where HIFK Kristian Vesalainen sank the Pelicans 2–1 with his goal, which came in 104.25 on the Nordis.
IFK postponed the series decision and kept their dream of a semi-final spot alive. The Pelicans lead the quarterfinals 3-1 and need a top four to clinch one more tie.
– An important victory! After all, it’s a great feeling to score a goal in that place when the hall is exploding. I myself have not had such an experience before, Vesalainen mused.
According to the number one hero of the match, the tempo disappeared from the game at some point in both teams, and it’s no wonder that it was played for such a long time.
– The head was kept cool and better decisions were made than in the previous games, noted Vesalainen.
HIFK coach Ville Peltonen said the team deserved to win on Tuesday.
– Today, the best game of the series was played on some level. We were better on top of the game and found more game quality and rhythm to play.
Peltonen said that HIFK wants to push forward.
– Playoffs drama was seen, just like in previous games. I am proud of the team’s contribution and tenacity, the HIFK coach praised his team.
In the second set, the defender Kasper Puutio led the Pelicans to the lead, but in the same set the HIFK striker Juha Jääskä leveled the game at 1–1. Both teams had post shots before Vesalainen’s decisive full hit.
– Tight and great series going on, HIFK was that much better today, Pelicans pilot Tommi Niemelä admitted.
HIFK goalkeeper Niko Hovinen made 40 saves in the fight, the Pelicans’ goalie at the other end Niklas Kokko 30.
TPS’s courage was rewarded in the overtime
Turku Palloseura, who finished ninth in the regular season, tied the quarter-final wins to 2–2 against the regular season winner Tappara in Turku, when the TPS defender, a former Tappara player Casimir Jürgens directed the 2–1 winning goal in the overtime in 71.19. Lukas Wernblom and Viljami Marjala did an excellent preliminary work for the decisive hit
– It was a surprise to me that even in the overtime, TPS kept up the pace, was brave and dominated the game for the most part. I would have thought that Tappara is the team that takes the initiative after 60 minutes of play, wondered the puck round expert Jesse Saarinen.
Tappara could have decided the game with a more effective look in the first period, where it was at its strongest. After that, TPS had no trouble, and Tommi Miettinen the guards fought at least equally in the rink.
In the quarter-final series, TPS pilot Miettinen has taken a small step by the head coach of the Tampere team Rikard from Grönborg. TPS has systematically released the pressure on Tappara, and the hair-raising game of the ax chests has not clicked into place. At the same time, TPS’s game plan includes long attacks, when Tappara has not been able to counterattack with fresh legs.
Tappara went into the first break with a 1–0 lead. The people of Tampere got one advantage, from which Anton Levtchi scored the opening goal Kristian Tanunsen and Petri Kontiolan from preliminary work in time 6.14.
The ball club went up in the second set next to Tappara and 1–1, when Markus Nurmi appeared in 36.59. Levtchi, who scored Tampere’s opening goal, had a bad defense in the counterattack.
The visiting team’s best situation came in the third period For Heikki Liedewho sneaked through in the final set Otto Rauhalan from the pass, but the gamesaver of the match was presented by the TPS keeper Philip Lindbergh in the 47th minute.
– The courage to play was emphasized going into the overtime, and we didn’t go to make sure. The booth is full of successful people. It was even, but we deserved the win in the end, TPS captain Juhani Jasu stated.
Puistola’s hat trick The Kärppie crash
Patrik Puistola winged Jukurit’s hat trick to a 5–2 victory over Kärpi, who still has a strong 3–1 lead in the quarter-final series. Distributed three assists Konsta Helenius also belonged to the great heroes of the Mikkelians.
Jukurie scored the winning goal in the second period Jesper Piitulainenwho hit only for the first time in the 38 playoffs games he played.
– A good start from us, we got the opening goal and the crowd immediately behind. All in all, a game that looks like Jukurei. This game was quite similar to the previous ones, only in the first one we were on our feet. Today it was our turn to open the track. We need to gain even more confidence in special situations, commented Piitulainen and revealed that the club ran out of money for flying.
Jukurit last visited Oulu by plane, but the team will leave for the north by bus on Wednesday and will play for the second time in the quarterfinals against the wall in Raksila on Thursday.
The flies failed to load
Kärpät wasn’t ready to put the series in a package, it was visible from the team’s play right from the start. Defender of the guests To Victor Berglund immediately during the handshake there was a terrible puck loss, from which Ondrej Kovarchin kicked off Jukurie’s opening pace already in the opening minute.
Jukurit and Kärpät went into the break with a score of 1–1, even though the home team had control of the game. Mikkeli’s first shot went past the Kärppä keeper by Niclas Westerholm in time 1.22 Joonas Kemppainen scratched the opening win and only seven seconds later completed the 1-1 hit with superior strength.
Kärpät stayed in the game with effective superiority. The team’s dominance percentage in the playoffs is a whopping 57.14% (4/7). On Tuesday, it scored two goals from its first two special situations, with which it reached the third set of a 2–3 loss.
In the second set, Puistola and Jesper Piitulainen took the Jukurs to a 3–1 lead. The latter hit was contributed by the Kärppä keeper Niclas Westerholmwho went behind the goal when the puck bounced from the end in front of the goal. Teemu Turunen shot a 2-3 taper Ville Koivunen from a cross pass with superiority in time 35.29.
At the beginning of the final set, Kärpi had a good phase in the game, where, among other things, the defender Martin Jandus shot the game tool into the goal cage. It did not receive an award, and Jukurit got its lines in better shape in the future. In the end, Puistola beautified the readings with their 4–2 and 5–2 hits. He did the first of these in 58.17 to no avail and the second in 59.24 with superiority.
Jukurie’s golden helmet Niko Huuhtanen after the match, he asked the smallest player of the Kärppie to be his rustling partner Arttu Paason and finally threw him with a half wrestling/judo throw to the ice. This escalated the situation between the teams. When going to the dressing room, the emotions boiled over with the experienced players, as well as the Jukurien coach, who was hot on the bench Olli Jokinen.
The following quarter-finals:
Wed 27.3. KalPa – Ilves 18.30 (wins 2-1)
Thu 28.3. Kärpät – Jukurit, Pelicans – HIFK, Tappara – TPS at 18:30