KHL
* Jokerit, Finland's only representatives in the Kontinental Hockey League, had a mixed week of results as they faced rivals from the Baltic Region.
* They started the week with a 3-2 defeat in Belarus when they faced Dinamo Minsk. Two nights later they were back home at the Hartwall Arena, but once again lost 3-2, this time to the expensively assembled SKA Saint-Petersburg, who can list Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk and Slava Voynov amongst their team roster.
* Things did improve on Saturday however, when they travelled to Latvia and skated off with a 2-1 win against Dinamo Riga.
* At present Jukka Jalonen's men sit in Seventh place in the Western Conference with 53 points, which is good enough for a play-off place. However, with still nearly half the season to go they will face stern opposition from the likes of Dynamo Moscow and Vityaz for their position, although the gap back to tenth-placed Medvescak Zagreb is now nine points.
* In other news this week, bottom six forward Michael Keränen left the team. It has been a disappointing spell for the player who was once on the books of the Minnesota Wild in the NHL.
SM liiga
* Pelicans Lahti have had a successful week winning both their games by 2-1 score lines, meaning they have jumped up to fourth in the standings.
Full reports of both those games can be found here:
TPS v Pelicans: http://heshootshescores91.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/sm-liiga-pelicans-tps-turku-tuesday.html
Pelicans v Ilves: http://heshootshescores91.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/sm-liiga-pelicans-v-ilves-tampere.html
* Lukko picked up some useful points this week as they battle to climb off the bottom of the standings.
The Raumo-based side got an important 4-2 win last Tuesday, at home to Karpat, who now sit just seven points and two places above them in the table. Joonas Niemela and Valentin Claireaux had given Lukko a two goal lead by the 44 minute mark. But, three goals in 36 seconds set up a tense finale. John Albert pulled one goal back for Karpat at 57:22, but Aleksi Saarela scored at 57:50 to restore Lukko’s two goal lead. However, Karpat scored again eight seconds later through Mika Pyorala. Karpat then pulled their goalie for the extra attacker, but that left them exposed at the back and Ville Vahalahti netted the empty netter to seal a much needed win.
* Lukko then played host to HPK on Saturday where they twice came from behind to force the game into overtime before eventually losing 3-2. Eero Somervuori gave HPK the lead early into the second period but Ville Vahalahti tied it less than five minutes later. Teemu Turunen looked to have won the game for the visitor’s with just over three minutes to go but with only four seconds left on the clock Janne Niskala dramatically tied the game and took it into overtime. Sakari Manninen converted at 3:21 into the extra session to seal the win.
That all means Lukko have closed up the gap to some of the teams above them and if they can claim another successful week again, might be off the bottom before long.
* League leaders Tappara hold a three point lead at the top of the table after wins over Sport [6-5], SaiPa [5-4] and TPS [1-2]. The side from Tampere have made a habit out of winning thrilling games these past few weeks and that continued.
* Tappara won a thrilling game against Sport Vaasa after twice coming from behind. Mikko Pukka and Joonas Komulainen gave Sport a two goal lead at the first break but three quick goals from Otso Rantakari, Martin Roymark and Jukka Peltola turned the game around for Tappara, or so they thought. Olevi Vauhkonen netted twice in 90 seconds to give Sport the lead again, but Tappara could thank Veli-Matti Savinainen and Otto Rauhala to give them the lead once again at 5-4. Less than a minute later Tomi Korkko tied the game once more but Jani Lajunen netted the eventual winner with just over five minutes left in the game.
* Against SaiPa on Friday, the lead changed hands several times in the early stages. Otso Ranrakari gave Tappara the lead, but William Makinen levelled just over a minute later. Saku Salminen then gave the visitors the lead early in the second period before two goals from Sebastian Repo in just 46 seconds turned the game around for the home side. Further strikes from Joona Luoto and Jan-Mikael Jarvinen looked to have made the game safe at 5-2 but two late goals from Tero Koskiranta and Kim Stromberg set up a tense final few seconds.
The next day Joona Luoto netted two goals against Turku side TPS. Tomi Kallio responded for TPS.
* Kalpa are the leader’s closest challengers right now, but the Kuopio-based side lost some ground to Tappara after losing to in-form Assat in overtime last Tuesday. Jyri Junnila had given Kalpa the lead but Arttu Ruotsalainen levelled early into the third period setting up Jussi Makkonen to net the winner 44 seconds into overtime.
* They were able to claim a victory against Sport Vaasa two days later and then follow that up with an overtime win over JYP. Goals from Alexander Ruuttu, Topi Piipponen and Jyri Junnila proved enough against Tomi Korkko’s solo strike in Vaasa.
* Kalpa did it the hard way against JYP though, going two goals behind early on after Juha-Pekka Hytonen and then Antti Suomela gave the visitors the lead. However, Jesse Mankinen and Tommi Jokinen made sure the game was tied by the end of the second period and then Santeri Lukka netted the winner 1:52 into the extra session.
* TPS currently sit in third place, nine points off the leaders after losing at home to Pelicans in overtime but then hitting five gaolas past KooKoo, as they did local neighbours Lukko a favour. Jasper Lindsten, Jerry Ahtola, Eric Perrin and Erik Thorell [twice] all scored while Anrei Hakulinen grabbed the only goal for KooKoo.
* HPK are having a decent season and they are sitting in fifth now after a 2-0 win over Ilves [Philippe Cornet and Niko Kapanen] and an overtime victory over Lukko. In-between those games they lost 2-1 to JYP. Antti Suomela and Mathias Porseland scored during regulation time, but with no further goals in overtime we went to a shootout. Janne Tavi scored the only goal in the shootout to claim the points.
* New-comers to the Liiga, Jukurit had a busy week, playing three times in five days, and losing all of them. A 3-2 reverse at home to struggling KooKoo was disappointing, after twice taking the lead through Miika Roine and Teemu Tallberg. Kai Kantola levelled for KooKoo, and then Jan-Mikael Juutilainen and Mikko Jokela scored less than 90 seconds apart to steal the points.
* Jukurit were well beaten by HIFK two days later. Mika Partanen, Juuso Puustinen, Juhamatti Aaltonen and Mikael Johansson all scored for the Helsinki side while Jesper Piitulainen’s goal at 50:52 was little more than a consolation.
Jukurit then travelled to SaiPa on Saturday where they lost that one 3-2. Turo Asplund’s double wasn’t enough as Matti Jarvinen, John McFarland and Per Savilahti Nagander scored for SaiPa.
* However, the Mikkeli based side are still having a more than respectable season and are still sitting in Seventh place.
* Karpat, who are being drawn back to the bottom of the table claimed a shock 3-0 win in Pori against Assat. Mikko Lehtonen’s double and Sami Anttila’s single goal was enough to claim the points.
* However, on Saturday they lost at home to Sport Vaasa. Markus Nenonen’s goal 55 seconds from time proving decisive.
* One of the most exciting games of the week took place between SaiPa and JYP last Tuesday. SaiPa took the lead through Joni Nikko, with less than three minutes on the clock, but Antti Suomela scored twice before the period was finished to give JYP the lead. Elmeri Kaksonen then tied the game before Mikko Kalteva restored JYP’s lead. Tomi Leivo tied the game again with 15 seconds left in the middle period. Urho Vaakanainen gave JYP their third lead of the game, but once again SaiPa tied it up at 52:33 with Kaksonen’s second. That took the game into overtime where Sami Niku netted the winner 62 seconds in.
KooKoo are also struggling to stay above Lukko but an overtime victory over HIFK in Helsinki last Friday, might just prove crucial, with Juha-Pekka Haataja getting the only goal of the game.
Tuesday November 22
HPK v Ilves 2-0
Jukurit v KooKoo 2-3
Lukko v Karpat 4-2
SaiPa v JYP 4-5 OT
Tappara v Sport 6-5
TPS v Pelicans 1-2 OT
Assat v Kalpa 2-1 OT
Thursday, November 24
Jukurit v HIFK 1-4
JYP v HPK 2-1 SO
KooKoo v TPS 2-6
Sport v Kalpa 1-3
Assat v Karpat 0-3
Friday, November 25
HIFK v KooKoo 0-1 OT
Tappara v SaiPa 5-4
Saturday, November 26
Kalpa v JYP 3-2 OT
Karpat v Sport 0-1
Lukko v HPK 2-3 OT
Pelicans v Ilves 2-1
SaiPa v Jukurit 3-2
TPS v Tappara 1-2
Mestis
* SaPko still top Finland's second tier, Mestis, despite losing both games last week. The biggest surprise was their 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Leki last Wednesday. The league leaders then lost to their closest challengers, TUTO. Losing 2-1 at home. Those results, couple with TUTO's huge 9-2 win over Roki means that SaPKo's once huge lead at the top has been slashed to just two points now.
* Hokki lost both their games by narrow 0-1 score lines, and currently sit in eleventh place. Losing away to Hermes last Wednesday and then at home to JYP-Akatemia on Saturday.
* KeuPa HT, holding on to eight spot, also lost both of their games. The lost to K-Vantaa, from the Helsinki Region 3-1 on the road and then at home to Peliitat in what was a 4-3 thriller on home ice.
* Struggling Espoo, had mixed results last week. The team relegated and renamed from the Liiga, following the demise of the Blues, grabbed a much needed 3-0 win away to IPK, before losing 4-1 away to Jokipojat.
Other big scores from the past week saw Peliitat put six goals past Hermes on their own ice! while Leki beat Roki 7-1 at home on Saturday.
Wednesday, 23 November
JYP-Akatemia - IPK - 0-2
Leki - SaPKo - 5-1
Hermes - Hokki - 0-1
K-Vantaa - KeuPa HT - 3-1
Friday, 25 November
IPK - Espoo United 0-3
Hermes - Peliitat 0-6
TUTO - Roki 9-2
JYP-Akatemia - Jokipojat - 4-2
Saturday, 26 November
SaPKo - TUTO - 1-2
Leki - Roki 7-1
Keupa HT - Peliitat 3-4
Jokipojat - Espoo United 4-1
Hoki - JYP Akatemia 0-1
K-Vantaa - Hermes 4-3
Nuorten SM-Liiga
Hockey from across the Pond is very excited to announce that Finnish hockey fan and photographer Roosa Marjanen has given me permission to use her outstandingly brilliant pictures for the blog.
Roosa has her own website showcasing her talents and I would urge you all to check out just how great the quality of her hockey pictures are:
http://roosamarjanen.kuvat.fi/
Roosa was who is from Rauma in Western Finland was at Pori this weekend just gone taking in the U20 tournament. You can check out the results from those games and also a brief report from our on location reporter here:
http://heshootshescores91.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/nuorten-sm-liiga-november-25-27-2016.html
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