Assat close in on Liiga top two with shootout win as KooKoo remain winless

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/assat-pori/I9wm5xTA/"]Assat[/a] had the chance to draw level with the top two on 15 points, but had to settle to closing the margin to just one as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/saipa/Q9sYH4O9/"]SaiPa[/a] took them the distance. [b]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/assat-I9wm5xTA/saipa-Q9sYH4O9/?mid=6X6n0U03"]2-1[/a] win is Assat's fifth in a row[/b] since beginning their season with a loss, while [b]SaiPa were beaten for the first time this season[/b] at the fifth attempt.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jurgens-casimir/b5pjxR1K/"]Casimir Jurgens[/a] put the visitors from Pori ahead midway through the first period, and after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hillis-cameron/tYFp2qP5/"]Cameron Hillis[/a]' goal was disallowed, SaiPa drew level with just over 10 minutes to play through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tauslahti-miro/SQv3Cutf/"]Miro Tauslahti[/a]. No further goals, including in overtime, meant for a shootout, and this time [b]Hillis would not be denied - he was the only player to find the net[/b], securing two points for Assat.[/p][embed guid="163715c6-7588-49c7-84d0-1a257adaf2ee" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2102826222556446761" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kookoo/ljjApDE3/"][b]KooKoo[/b][/a][b] remain on one point[/b], three adrift of their nearest rivals after their sixth straight loss of the season, [b]going down [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/kalpa-tMuMK6vi/kookoo-ljjApDE3/?mid=vRE0xR8d"]5-4[/a] at home to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kalpa-kuopio/tMuMK6vi/"]KalPa[/a][/b], who climb to sixth having won three and lost three so far, all in 60 minutes.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/meskanen-ville/xKmHxIvN/"]Ville Meskanen[/a] levelled in minute 10 after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hartikainen-teemu/l2suf0n9/"]Teemu Hartikainen[/a] put KalPa ahead, but that only heralded [b]three goals for the visitors in two minutes, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/klemetti-aleksi/GQGmniGs/"]Aleksi Klemetti[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saarelainen-joona/Mufnzbfi/"]Joona Saarelainen[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kononen-juuso/EDpcFV3f/"]Juuso Kononen[/a] all got on the scoresheet[/b]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/roope-tossavainen/Gl6crhHk/"]Roope Tossavainen[/a]'s two goals either side of a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lappalainen-lasse/02YWxvXs/"]Lasse Lappalainen[/a] strike in period two cut the deficit, which [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sulku-santeri/tYByju4a/"]Santeri Sulku[/a] cut to one goal with seven minutes left, but KooKoo were unable to produce an equaliser.[/p][embed guid="e7e6826d-63b3-49a7-b106-0d7ae5df2cbb" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2102789730475598026" social-type="twitter" /][p]Not a single goal was scored in 60 minutes between [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vaasan-sport/Qqy8aCTd/"]Vaasan Sport[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kiekko-espoo/IVYOkYeB/"]Kiekko-Espoo[/a], before the visitors snatched it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/kiekko-espoo-IVYOkYeB/vaasan-sport-Qqy8aCTd/?mid=EcAfb8VF"]1-0[/a] thanks to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vaisanen-jere/dnrWZIKt/"]Jere Vaisanen[/a]'s goal in the third minute of overtime[/b] - a deserved winner, given KE's 28 shots on goal compared to just 15 from Sport, all of which [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rimpinen-petteri/Kh9Z7uBb/"]Petteri Rimpinen[/a] saved.[/p][p]That first win in three takes Kiekko to 10th place and knocks the Vaasa side down to 11th, having lost back-to-back matches. The two sides have nine points each, but Sport have played eight games compared to their opponents' six.[/p][embed guid="f7d3632f-af9a-4a77-8341-2fe1d7cb9db2" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2102820248223437289" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ifk-helsinki/Ige43GcN/"]IFK Helsinki[/a] ended their four-match losing run[/b] and climbed out of the bottom three with [b]a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/ifk-helsinki-Ige43GcN/karpat-fPJxL2x2/?mid=6DGhvmvp"]3-1[/a] win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/karpat-oulu/fPJxL2x2/"]Karpat[/a][/b], who lose for a second time in as many evenings having been shutout by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tappara/llrWVOwG/"]Tappara[/a], leaving both sides on seven points.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/makiaho-daniel/GUAU6y0m/"]Daniel Makiaho[/a]'s opener for HIFK was cancelled out by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hirvonen-roni/8dyov3Qt/"]Roni Hirvonen[/a] on the powerplay in the second period, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/marleau-vincent/hQCEWNwn/"]Vincent Marleau[/a] took centre stage, scoring on a powerplay for the hosts before the second period was up, and rounding off the win with an empty-net goal late on.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/finland/liiga/"]Follow the new Liiga season on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]