Liiga roundup: Lukko back among top four with KooKoo win as Ilves win derby in OT

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/assat-pori/I9wm5xTA/"]Assat[/a]'s win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kalpa-kuopio/tMuMK6vi/"]KalPa[/a] on Thursday had seen them take pole position in the multi-club race for fourth, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lukko-rauman/hdqQJQgc/"]Lukko[/a] put in a statement performance in their first 20 minutes that all but earned them the place back.[/p][p]Two goals in less than 20 seconds of play set the Rauma side on course - [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/beaucage-alex/KAed5cE0/"]Alex Beaucage[/a] opened the deadlock on the first powerplay, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/morand-antoine/neIgVwpK/"]Antoine Morand[/a] proved Lukko could be just as deadly without a man advantage.[/b][/p][p]But just for good measure, a second powerplay with just over seven minutes to play in the first period was also used to full effect, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saarela-antti/WCHKQksm/"]Antti Saarela[/a] put the home side 3-0 ahead.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kookoo/ljjApDE3/"]KooKoo[/a] threatened a fightback early in the second when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rooba-robert/GxRw6E28/"]Robert Rooba[/a] got them on the scoresheet, [b]only for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/peters-alex/WOwEAz8L/"]Alex Peters[/a] to respond within two minutes to restore the three-goal cushion. [/b][/p][p]There would be no Lukko reply when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/valkeejarvi-samuel/OY0vfm58/"]Samuel Valkeejarvi[/a] scored early in the third period, but nor were there further strikes from the visitors, meaning the hosts had themselves a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/kookoo-ljjApDE3/lukko-hdqQJQgc/?mid=tEKkr81M"]4-2[/a] win and just their second three-point success in their last seven, as they finally reached 100 points.[/p][embed guid="b25ec808-4eea-4794-ae02-ce39e4d6e5d2" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2029965520494100897" social-type="twitter" /][p]It's two defeats on the spin now for KooKoo, but their deficit to leaders [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tappara/llrWVOwG/"]Tappara[/a] was only extended by one more point - to four - [b]as the Battle Axe were beaten [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/ilves-Oh5uGzDT/tappara-llrWVOwG/?mid=CYSYoj2c"]4-3 after overtime[/a] by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ilves-tampere/Oh5uGzDT/"]Ilves[/a] in a thrilling Tampere derby.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blichfeld-joachim/zD6cncwU/"]Joachim Blichfeld[/a]'s goal looked to have handed Tappara control of the game late in the first period, after teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tanus-kristian/xSsQo1jE/"]Kristian Tanus[/a] had cancelled out an early opener from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/henman-luke/ADRnATR0/"]Luke Henman[/a], only for an illegal check to the head from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rasanen-aapeli/AVC7CGcF/"]Aapeli Rasanen[/a] early in the second let the Lynx back in.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/klingberg-carl/tKbCh7qO/"]Carl Klingberg[/a] netted on the resulting powerplay nine minutes into the second period, and then a delay of game provided Ilves with another man advantage before the midpoint, which they profited from through Henman's second of the match.[/b][/p][p]Whatever Henman could go, Blichfeld could do too, as he completed his brace with only 02:34 left in regulation, [b]yet it proved to be fruitless for Tappara, who conceded three minutes into overtime, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/quenneville-peter/QF0DaJci/"]Peter Quenneville[/a] won it for the yellow and green half of Tampere.[/b][/p][p]Ilves remain seventh but are just five points off the top four with a game in hand, as they put an end to a two-game losing run. For Tappara, it's a first defeat in four.[/p][embed guid="c1a13551-4eb4-4eac-b9c4-b7fe0c72326c" url="https://x.com/ilveshockey/status/2030029288095842739" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jyp-jyvaskyla/YVjXBEzi/"]JYP[/a] suffered a costly first defeat in three which leaves them a point shy of Lukko in fifth place, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ahonen-verneri/0QWmHPwT/"]Verneri Ahonen[/a] was the only player to score in the shootout, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jukurit/vmuCbWr3/"]Jukurit[/a] caused an upset away from home, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/jukurit-vmuCbWr3/jyp-YVjXBEzi/?mid=80MspUW9"]4-3[/a].[/b] The Mikkeli side climb to 14th, five points shy of the postseason places.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hameenlinna/zV5a4drH/"]Hameenlinna[/a] are the side Jukurit have their sights set on after they went above [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tps-turku/Wd5rVrgM/"]TPS Turku[/a] into 12th by beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/karpat-oulu/fPJxL2x2/"]Karpat[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/hameenlinna-zV5a4drH/karpat-fPJxL2x2/?mid=pSzmOnAj"]3-2[/a][/b] for a fourth win in five, as the Oulu side return to losing ways and now need a minimum seven points from their last four games to reach the playoffs.[/p][embed guid="7dd410ad-5201-4116-a2c0-c63c91d9cd7d" url="https://x.com/Pallokerho/status/2030006885856989226" social-type="twitter" /][p]Putting breathing space between themselves and the chasing pack were 11th-placed [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ifk-helsinki/Ige43GcN/"]IFK Helsinki[/a], who ended [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pelicans-lahti/nJrUIp93/"]Pelicans[/a]' four-game winning streak with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/ifk-helsinki-Ige43GcN/pelicans-nJrUIp93/?mid=OYNExnPq"]4-1[/a] win in Lahti[/b] that gives the capital side a five-point lead over TPS, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/repo-sebastian/nXHIhU8t/"]Sabastian Repo[/a] netted twice for the victors.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/finland/liiga/"]Follow the Liiga regular season run in on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]