Liiga roundup: Tappara seal top-four berth as JYP benefit from rivals' defeats

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tappara/llrWVOwG/"]Tappara[/a] had to do it the hard way, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jormakka-pekka/WOZIDI2O/"]Pekka Jormakka[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ojantakanen-valtteri/EiZFPN8I/"]Valtteri Ojantakanen[/a] put opponents [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jyp-jyvaskyla/YVjXBEzi/"]JYP[/a] 2-0 up after 20 minutes, but a pair of powerplay strikes from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/keskinen-oiva/xMC9phOq/"]Oiva Keskinen[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jokipakka-jyrki/vi6SmFM5/"]Jyrki Jokipakka[/a] had drawn them level again by the end of the second period.[/p][p]Neither side could find a crucial third goal in the latter stages of regulation, [b]but one finally came two minutes into overtime, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blichfeld-joachim/zD6cncwU/"]Joachim Blichfeld[/a] completed the turnaround, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/jyp-YVjXBEzi/tappara-llrWVOwG/?mid=M5iukGE6"]3-2[/a], and ensure Tappara will play in the Champions Hockey League next season.[/b][/p][embed guid="8ab5dd29-508f-44b4-a6b7-2ec8139c6e2c" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqSYPBD0TCU" social-type="youtube" /][p][b]Despite the loss, JYP's lead over the sides chasing their fourth place has increased to two points over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ilves-tampere/Oh5uGzDT/"]Ilves[/a] - who weren't in action last night - as both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lukko-rauman/hdqQJQgc/"]Lukko[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kalpa-kuopio/tMuMK6vi/"]KalPa[/a] were defeated.[/b][/p][p]Lukko thought they had saved themselves when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/daschke-derek/Yy2wiWKK/"]Derek Daschke[/a] levelled their match with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kiekko-espoo/IVYOkYeB/"]Kiekko-Espoo[/a] with just five seconds to play, but after no overtime goal, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stevens-john/nLBIjyFa/"]John Stevens[/a]' penalty [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/kiekko-espoo-IVYOkYeB/lukko-hdqQJQgc/?mid=ARXZAcyQ"]won the shootout[/a] for KE for their third win in four, as Lukko's first loss in three could only draw them level on points with Ilves.[/p][p]KalPa's night was worse - they conceded three unanswered goals in the third period to lose [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/ifk-helsinki-Ige43GcN/kalpa-tMuMK6vi/?mid=fJkmmfqJ"]4-1[/a] at home to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ifk-helsinki/Ige43GcN/"]IFK Helsinki[/a]. The champions stay in seventh, three points of JYP having played a game more than all their rivals. Three successive wins have put HIFK on the brink of the playoffs.[/p][embed guid="8381cbd8-f6f0-4709-9939-f21a9b7625fd" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2031803666726867448" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]A match against cut-adrift [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vaasan-sport/Qqy8aCTd/"]Vaasan Sport[/a] was the perfect tonic for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tps-turku/Wd5rVrgM/"]TPS Turku[/a] to end a four-game losing run with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/tps-turku-Wd5rVrgM/vaasan-sport-Qqy8aCTd/?mid=0dCE3FTa"]3-0[/a] victory[/b] that takes them to just a point behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hameenlinna/zV5a4drH/"]Hameenlinna[/a] in the race for 12th. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/makiniemi-eetu/KpzN7s2G/"]Eetu Makiniemi[/a] made 16 saves in the shutout, as Sport lost their 18th game in a row.[/p][p]Second-placed [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/saipa/Q9sYH4O9/"]SaiPa[/a] failed to secure their place in the top four, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pelicans-lahti/nJrUIp93/"]Pelicans[/a] all but wrapped up their place in the postseason after a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/pelicans-nJrUIp93/saipa-Q9sYH4O9/?mid=vsO55yam"]4-1[/a] final score in Lahti[/b] that keeps them nine points clear of 13th place with a first win in three, while it's a first loss in three for SaiPa, meaning of the five sides in the top half all to play last night, only Tappara emerged victorious.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/finland/liiga/"]Follow the finale to the Liiga regular season on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]