Liiga Playoffs: Tappara and KooKoo within a win of semis after game four successes

[p]Having retaken the series lead last time, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tappara/llrWVOwG/"]Tappara[/a] made a brilliant start in game four in the hope of avoiding a repeat of their away defeat earlier in the series. [b]Just 13 seconds in, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rauhala-otto/IZtRlFa5/"]Otto Rauhala[/a] diverted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haapala-henrik/GCsbPPgB/"]Henrik Haapala[/a]'s pass into the path of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tuulola-eetu/UaBt6geD/"]Eetu Tuulola[/a], who provided the simple finish.[/b][/p][p]It was 2-0 just three minutes later, after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nikkila-petteri/xAUN90og/"]Petteri Nikkila[/a] was sent to the box for roughing, Tappara wore their opponents down on the powerplay, [b]and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blichfeld-joachim/zD6cncwU/"]Joachim Blichfeld[/a]'s shot from the right found its way through to the net. [/b][/p][p]But HPK again proved their worth, getting back into the game soon after with a powerplay goal of their own following unsportsmanlike conduct from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rasanen-aapeli/AVC7CGcF/"]Aapeli Raasanen[/a], [b]and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jokirinne-viljami/pI99VVAa/"]Viljami Jokirinne[/a] struck from just inside the blue line.[/b][/p][p]The key moment looked to have come in the final minute of the first period, [b]when a nice pass from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rautiainen-benjamin/KUr19Dum/"]Benjamin Rautiainen[/a] set up Blichfeld for his second and gave the Battle Axe a two-goal cushion ahead of a goalless second period.[/b][/p][p]In fact, that's how it stayed until the final three minutes, when a real scrap for the puck in front of the Tappara net[b] finally ended when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paivarinta-sami/ATSwOrgO/"]Sami Paivarinta[/a] forced it over the line.[/b] Then, a minute later,[b] [/b]an unlikely comeback was completed when[b] HPK again put real pressure on the visitors' goal, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/korhonen-olli/rwnUZ9qd/"]Olli Korhonen[/a]'s effort found a way through to make it 3-3.[/b][/p][p]Yet, overtime belonged to the regular season winners, who took over 10 minutes to find the goal that secured victory, but patience was key, [b]as that's just what [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tanus-kristian/xSsQo1jE/"]Kristian Tanus[/a] used behind the net to wait for the right pass to become available, before finally finding a free [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mattila-jesper/0U8LTxPa/"]Jesper Mattila[/a], who fired the winner.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/hameenlinna-zV5a4drH/tappara-llrWVOwG/?mid=buDG3ND7"]The 4-3 win[/a] on the night means Tappara have the chance to win the series at home in game five on Tuesday 7th April. HPK must win three games in a row to progress.[/p][embed guid="8e349bd3-4dbe-40ce-ae42-fad7f2f3bd85" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLIfLnp5INw" social-type="youtube" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kookoo/ljjApDE3/"]KooKoo[/a] had a much less stressful evening as they also took a two-game lead in their series against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pelicans-lahti/nJrUIp93/"]Pelicans[/a], winning [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/kookoo-ljjApDE3/pelicans-nJrUIp93/?mid=lSUzipU1"]5-1[/a] on the road to give themselves three opportunities to reach the semi-finals.[/p][p]Like Tappara, they wasted no time in going in front - [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/meskanen-ville/xKmHxIvN/"]Ville Meskanen[/a] won the puck in Pelicans' territory, danced through the defence and played the puck across for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/miettinen-veeti/YuStjev4/"]Veeti Miettinen[/a] to score with just 32 seconds played.[/b][/p][p]Midway through the match, the visitors doubled their lead in similar fashion, a[b]s this time [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/davidsson-marcus/AJtjdlPL/"]Marcus Davidsson[/a] won the puck in Pelicans' territory and set the puck back for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gallo-vilmos/phBwxZfB/"]Vilmos Gallo[/a] to unleash a powerful finish.[/b][/p][p]As if twice wasn't enough, KooKoo again preyed upon the Lahti side early in period three, [b]with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rooba-robert/GxRw6E28/"]Robert Rooba[/a] winning possession before he combined with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paajanen-otto/fke4uA6C/"]Otto Paajanen[/a] to set up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jaakola-ossi-petteri/AFnFlao6/"]Ossi-Petteri Jaakola[/a] to add a third goal.[/b][/p][p]Pelicans' night got worse when they conceded a powerplay and KooKoo all but walked the puck into the net, with Miettinen adding his second goal. The home side did pull one back through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lind-onni/z7U2UcUP/"]Onni Lind[/a] soon after, [b]but comeback hopes were long gone before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/valkeejarvi-samuel/OY0vfm58/"]Samuel Valkeejarvi[/a] found the empty net.[/b][/p][p]Back to Kouvola the sides go for game five on Tuesday 7th, KooKoo's first chance to wrap up the series victory, and therefore a must-win for the Lahti side.[/p][embed guid="a0bf75e4-c329-4878-9458-083bc4beef55" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxupYaydFXQ" social-type="youtube" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/finland/liiga/"]Follow every Liiga playoff match on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]