Tappara won the third final with a score of 2–0. Kirvesrinnat reduced the match series to 1–2.
Tappara took a huge victory, because with a loss it would have slipped to a 0–3 loss in the match series. From there, it would have been statistically very unlikely to rise to the pitcher’s festival.
In the league’s playoff series, there has only been one time in history that a team has gone from a 0–3 loss position to a 4–3 win. It happened in 2012, when the regular season winner KalPa beat the Blues three times in the quarterfinals.
After that, the Blues won four times in a row and pushed for the next round.
Keskinen and Jokipakka
Jyrki Jokipakka scored Tappara’s second goal on Wednesday. MIKA KYLMÄNIEMI / AOP
Tappara scored the only goal of the opening set. It bounced in through Oiva Keskinen. Kasper Simontaival and Joni Tuulola scored the goal that came during the postponed penalty.
The second period was scoreless.
In the final set, Tappara sealed the victory when Jyrki Jokipakka knocked the puck into KooKoo’s empty pocket.
– This was a goal game right to the end. We had a good defensive game until the end, we made some good blocks. Jyrki then got to put the solution in the blanks. A great game from us, the 22-year-old Keskinen gave the night away.
Senter’s goal was lucky, but everything counts.
– For a while there, things were spinning in the head. Kassu shot and happened to bounce through me into the goal. I think it hit my glove, I’m not sure where it went in.
Was KooKoo quiet today?
– Well, I don’t know if it was a fluke, but we had a good first set and were able to drum up our own game. The guy improved the second and third, we had to defend in that, Keskinen thought.
Stay in the helmet
22-year-old Oiva Keskinen scored the opening goal of the third final for Tappara. JUSSI SAARENEN
The third final was a rather unremarkable puck. Kovi’s intensity was gone and the game was cautious, far from the kind of frantic puck you’d think you’d see in the rink when fighting for the Finnish championship.
– There is a playoff atmosphere there, you can play hard. The judges have such a line, and that’s fine. There hasn’t been a dirty game in this series, Keskinen thought.
Tappara was already better in the final set of the second final. Now it got its first win. The hell machine is waking up.
– Yes, it has always been in our minds that we will go for the brightest and be able to win at home and away, Keskinen said.
There were only 9,205 spectators in the Nokia Arena on Wednesday.
