Liiga roundup: Ilves hold off challengers to finish fourth as HPK reach playoffs

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ilves-tampere/Oh5uGzDT/"]Ilves[/a] began the evening in fourth place, but the gap to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lukko-rauman/hdqQJQgc/"]Lukko[/a] was so fine that even a narrow win in regulation would not guarantee they kept the spot if the Rauma side picked up a big win to swing the goal difference in their favour.[/p][p]With that in mind, Ilves needed a strong start, only to fall behind in the ninth minute, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kalapudas-antti/ruBynhXa/"]Antti Kalapudas[/a] put [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/saipa/Q9sYH4O9/"]SaiPa[/a] in front. However, the match was won and the Quarter-final place sealed in the second period.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/engberg-teemu/S8r4pVpf/"]Teemu Engberg[/a] struck the equaliser in the third minute, and that lit the blue touch paper for the Lynx, who turned the match on its head through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nattinen-joonas/YT1BDxpG/"]Joonas Nattinen[/a], before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ratinen-samuli/IPXDuzXP/"]Samuli Ratinen[/a] made it 3-1 just 49 seconds of play after Engberg's leveller.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/borg-erik/Odajpn3B/"]Erik Borg[/a] struck another for the Tampere side midway through the match, and despite briefly conceding a 5-on-3 situation late in the period, Ilves comfortably held on for a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/ilves-Oh5uGzDT/saipa-Q9sYH4O9/?mid=44kwTjE8"]4-1[/a] win, their fifth in their last six regular season matches. SaiPa also head to the Quarter-finals on the back of two defeats in three.[/p][embed guid="ea4c5c4f-cf8e-4047-b5ef-17046b14bb09" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2033966506258629074" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]That result meant Lukko had to win by eight goals against a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kalpa-kuopio/tMuMK6vi/"]KalPa[/a] side who began the night a point behind in the battle for fourth, but they could only manage to seal a win in overtime after a thrilling match that ended [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/kalpa-tMuMK6vi/lukko-hdqQJQgc/?mid=4SXPJnye"]6-5[/a].[/b][/p][p]The Lukko fans were thinking it was their night early on when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ford-connor/jaOt2jzm/"]Connor Ford[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/viitasalo-nuutti/lfLIUko7/"]Nuutti Viitasalo[/a] had them 2-0 up inside five minutes, but not only did [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/borchardt-cade/0GYmNnPb/"]Cade Borchardt[/a] pull one back two minutes later, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/curry-patrick/dv80108m/"]Patrick Curry[/a] got KalPa back on level terms early in the second period.[/p][p]Suddenly it was all KalPa - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ruotsalainen-ville/CSBis6gn/"]Ville Ruotsalainen[/a] scored shorthanded to put them ahead and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kononen-juuso/EDpcFV3f/"]Juuso Kononen[/a] made it four unanswered, only for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gelinas-eric/2FzTVCXC/"]Eric Gelinas[/a] to stop the rot approaching the 40-minute mark.[/p][p]Borchardt's second of the game, in between equalisers from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saarela-antti/WCHKQksm/"]Antti Saarela[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ikonen-henri/vRScFPFL/"]Henri Ikonen[/a] saw the teams tied at 5-5 after 60 minutes. News filtering through of Ilves' win meant both sides knew they were wildcard round-bound before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/morand-antoine/neIgVwpK/"]Antoine Morand[/a] struck the winner for Lukko two minutes into overtime.[/p][embed guid="b0467e54-1161-4a91-9096-2a2d36f5e3a1" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2033985475195650141" social-type="twitter" /][p]Lukko finish fifth, a point shy of Ilves, [b]while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jyp-jyvaskyla/YVjXBEzi/"]JYP[/a] climbed above KalPa into sixth, with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/assat-I9wm5xTA/jyp-YVjXBEzi/?mid=CUhoRUrL"]5-4[/a] win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/assat-pori/I9wm5xTA/"]Assat[/a] which was never going to be enough to reach the Quarter-finals with other results going against them.[/b][/p][p]The Pori side came from 3-0 down to level, but a second wind for JYP in the middle period was enough to end their three-game losing run, while Assat already knew they were destined to finish eighth before their first loss in three.[/p][embed guid="5c33fe36-b479-4691-9ca8-98c052b3cc08" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2033984150642766087" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hameenlinna/zV5a4drH/"]Hameenlinna[/a] fans were celebrating before overtime started, as despite throwing away a 2-0 lead against regular season title winners [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tappara/llrWVOwG/"]Tappara[/a], [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/miettinen-veeti/YuStjev4/"]Veeti Miettinen[/a]'s last-minute winner for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kookoo/ljjApDE3/"]KooKoo[/a] inflicted a third consecutive loss on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tps-turku/Wd5rVrgM/"]TPS Turku[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/kookoo-ljjApDE3/tps-turku-Wd5rVrgM/?mid=jytDuUcE"]4-3[/a], confirming HPK had held onto the final playoff place.[/b][/p][p][b]That also ensured the Kouvola team climbed above SaiPa and into second, snatching a place in the Champions Hockey League for next season.[/b][/p][p][b]HPK went onto mark their wildcard place in style, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/korhonen-olli/rwnUZ9qd/"]Olli Korhonen[/a] scored the winner two minutes into OT to seal a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/hameenlinna-zV5a4drH/tappara-llrWVOwG/?mid=MuQhLve2"]3-2[/a] win[/b], the home side's first victory in four, as Tappara finish the regular campaign with back-to-back defeats, finishing on 117 points, two clear of KooKoo[/p][embed guid="98fe8ad0-04b2-4ac2-a045-71d8b3ab08d8" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2033990108567765237" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kiekko-espoo/IVYOkYeB/"]Kiekko-Espoo[/a] signed off their regular season in style, winning for the fourth game in a row and with a shutout for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rimpinen-petteri/Kh9Z7uBb/"]Petteri Rimpinen[/a], who made 20 saves in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/jukurit-vmuCbWr3/kiekko-espoo-IVYOkYeB/?mid=WEZHL86r"]3-0[/a] triumph over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jukurit/vmuCbWr3/"]Jukurit[/a].[/b] A ninth-place finish sees KE safely into the wildcard round, while the Mikkeli side[/p][p]Finishing in 10th and 11th respectively were [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ifk-helsinki/Ige43GcN/"]IFK Helsinki[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pelicans-lahti/nJrUIp93/"]Pelicans[/a], who faced off in the capital this evening attempting to take winning streaks into the playoffs, and it was HIFK who extended theirs to six matches with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/ifk-helsinki-Ige43GcN/pelicans-nJrUIp93/?mid=UX7oN0Qk"]4-0[/a] victory,[/b] as the Lahti side forced [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alnefelt-hugo/QHLEKOS4/"]Hugo Alnefelt[/a] into just 10 saves.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vaasan-sport/Qqy8aCTd/"]Vaasan Sport[/a] finish the season with 20 consecutive defeats - they led after 40 minutes at home to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/karpat-oulu/fPJxL2x2/"]Karpat[/a], but three goals in the final period, including two in the final minute, [b]saw the visitors win [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/karpat-fPJxL2x2/vaasan-sport-Qqy8aCTd/?mid=OUmRHQ57"]3-1[/a] and sign off their season in 14th, [/b]denying Sport just an 11th win of the campaign.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/finland/liiga/"]Follow the Liiga playoffs on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]