Liiga Playoffs: SaiPa enact revenge on Assat after another drawn-out contest

[p]It took a Liiga-record-breaking 125 minutes to separate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/assat-pori/I9wm5xTA/"]Assat[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/saipa/Q9sYH4O9/"]SaiPa[/a] in game one, though the first period tonight did little to suggest this match would be any quicker, as neither side broke the deadlock, while SaiPa failed to make use of a powerplay after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/anttalainen-aleksi/GKLB6n61/"]Aleksi Anttalainen[/a] was called for interference.[/p][p]However, in the third minute of period two, [b]a real scrap for the puck in front of the net resulted in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ylitalo-otsu/Qojh5Vx0/"]Otsu Ylitalo[/a] poking home to put Assat ahead, [/b]but the lead had been wiped out before the midpoint of the game[b], when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kivenmaki-otto/t2HFF6jD/"]Otto Kivenmaki[/a] beat the goaltender from an almost impossible angle.[/b][/p][p]That's how things stayed until midway through the third period, [b]when Kivenmaki turned provider, taking the puck behind the net and laying it off for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salminen-saku/pW5SSRaQ/"]Saku Salminen[/a] to give SaiPa the lead.[/b][/p][p]But for the third time in the playoffs, with all three coming in the third period, [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/knihti-feetu/v5GT48FS/"]Feetu Knihti[/a] found the net for Assat, latching onto a pass at the blue line in the final four minutes, the visiting defence parted and the 23-year-old kept his cool to send the sides to overtime again.[/b][/p][p]The Aces led the shots on target count 9-5 in the first extra period, but neither side found the crucial goal in 20 minutes, meaning after seven periods on Saturday, the sides would be facing a minimum of five this time.[/p][p]However, tonight's encounter would last a mere 95 minutes 39 seconds, as late in the second overtime period, [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/klintrup-eero/6ebnU05p/"]Eero Klintrup[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/heikkila-juuso/Cn5C3L94/"]Juuso Heikkila[/a] combined to tee up a free [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aho-karri/bqaufwnb/"]Karri Aho[/a] on the right to net the winning goal for SaiPa, who level the series at 1-1 with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/assat-I9wm5xTA/saipa-Q9sYH4O9/?mid=dpQsVe3b"]the 3-2 victory[/a].[/b][/p][embed guid="0e6f34e4-8f31-4a3e-b28b-a26a89a53ad3" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2039062623010845164" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ilves-tampere/Oh5uGzDT/"]Ilves[/a] have opened up a two-game lead over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kalpa-kuopio/tMuMK6vi/"]KalPa[/a] in their quarter-final series after coming from 2-0 down to win [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/ilves-Oh5uGzDT/kalpa-tMuMK6vi/?mid=r1IAqz1f"]4-3 after overtime[/a].[/b] The Lynx were 3-1 winners on opening night of their series, but back on home ice the Kuopio side were hoping for better this time.[/p][p]That's how things were panning out after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ratinen-samuli/IPXDuzXP/"]Samuli Ratinen[/a] was called for interference 17 minutes in, [b]and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rissanen-jaakko/48zoIRV2/"]Jaakko Rissanen[/a] scored on the resulting powerplay on just his third appearance since January.[/b][/p][p]The evening got better for the home side with just over two minutes played in the second period, [b]when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lantta-jaakko/WApzRxEL/"]Jaakko Lantta[/a] set up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/westerlund-filip/nkFgJt7d/"]Filip Westerlund[/a] to make it 2-0, [/b]but the second half of the periof belonged to Ilves.[/p][p]With nine minutes to go, [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jasek-lukas/0OkXrem5/"]Lukas Jasek[/a] carried the puck well and picked out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/carlsson-patrik/h4Vq1ReK/"]Carl Kingberg[/a] on the left, and his shot found its way through to make it 2-1. [/b]Five minutes later, following a roughing call against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/curry-patrick/dv80108m/"]Patrick Curry[/a],[b] the Lynx levelled on the powerplay when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/torok-matic/KtWca625/"]Matic Torok[/a] buried a loose puck.[/b][/p][p]The Tampere side looked to complete a turnaround in period three, but that went awry after 19 seconds when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/henman-luke/ADRnATR0/"]Luke Henman[/a] was called for tripping, [b]and when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lappalainen-lasse/02YWxvXs/"]Lasse Lappalainen[/a]'s shot was tucked away on the rebound by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/borchardt-cade/0GYmNnPb/"]Cade Borchardt[/a], KalPa had the powerplay goal to restore their advantage.[/b][/p][p]It didn't seem to be Ilves' night when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/borg-erik/Odajpn3B/"]Erik Borg[/a] had a goal disallowed with 14 minutes to play, [b]only for Jasek to grab a second assist 10 minutes from time, setting up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/looke-jens/vPV6ILAs/"]Jens Looke[/a] to dig out a nice finish under pressure and ensure this one went to overtime too.[/b][/p][p]The extra period in Kuopio was much shorter than the one in Pori - [b]just 02:35 was on the clock when Torok squared the puck along the blue line for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/johansson-simon/IZ62cQAC/"]Simon Johansson[/a], who worked a better shooting angle before firing home to put Ilves 2-0 up in the series.[/b][/p][embed guid="fd7e8b09-f009-4a4d-a1b7-6ca6658c5693" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2039056303956332923" social-type="twitter" /][p]Game three in both series will be played on Saturday 4th April, with the matches hosted in Lappeenranta and Tampere, respectively.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/finland/liiga/"]Follow the Liiga playoffs on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]