KHL
Jokerit started off the new year in fine style beating big Spending neighbours SKA St Petersburg 3-2. The sides exchanged goals in both of the opening two periods before the Helsinki-based side hit the winner in the third. A three goal collapse in the final period against Severstal two days later saw Jokerit lose 4-1 away in Cherepovets.
Finland's only side in the Kontinental Hockey League find themselves sitting in Seventh place in the Western Conference standings on 73 points, four above Sochi and Vityaz. Jokerit can feel content in the knowledge that they have two games in hand over both those sides and so their play-off place is secure for now.
SM liiga
Pelicans – Remain in fifth place after two good wins over KooKoo and Ilves. However there was some disappointment after being battered by HPK.
* Pelicans won their latest derby game against KooKoo after storming into an early lead through Hannes Bjorninen and Juha Leimu. Mikko Kousa and Bjorninen again extended the Lahti side’s lead before Ryan O’Connor scored a consolation goal for the team from Kouvola.
* Pelicans were beaten heavily by HPK, two days later, despite taking the lead at 1:40 of the game through Aleksi Rekonen. However, HPK scored three times in just over two minutes to turn the game in their favour. Sakari Manninen, Niko Kapanen and Otto Paajanen getting the goals. However, Iikka Kangasniemi got the Pelicans back into the game before the first period had ended when he converted after being set up by Antti Tyrvainen and Henri Heino. However another meltdown, late in the second period saw HPK score three goals again, this time in just 89 seconds! Manninen, netted twice during that time to complete his hat-trick, while there was also a goal for Severi Sillanpaa.
* Against Ilves, the Pelcians were involved in a seven goal thriller. Morten Poulsen opened the scoring at 3:39 but Michael Keranen levelled soon after to make sure both sides went into the break on even terms. Both Poulsen and Keranen traded goals again to open the second period, before Juha Leimu gave the Lahti-side the lead for the third time in the game. Juhani Tyrvainen made the game safe before Markku Flinck pulled on back for the Tampere-based side with 60 seconds remaining.
Lukko are still tied at the bottom of the standings with SaiPa after two defeats and only a single victory last week.
* Lukko lost a ten goal thriller at home to Karpat last Tuesday despite taking the lead. Sami Lahteenmaki opened the scoring at 7:45 but the team from Oulu in Northern Finland put together a devastating period of play, netting three times in just over five minutes. John Albert, Mika Pyorala and Ville Leskinen all converted before the first period had ended. Mikko Niemela then extended that lead with the only goal in the middle period before the teams proceeded to share five goals in the final session. Janne Niskala pulled one back for Lukko, but Lasse Kukkonen scored twice for Karpat to kill off any thoughts the Rauma-based side had of making a comeback. Aaron Gagnon reduced the arrears for Lukko once again but Leskinen grabbed his second for Karpat to make it 7-3 to the visitors.
* Two days later Lukko lost again, JYP took an early lead in the game thanks to Niklas Friman, but less than three minutes later, Steven Seigo got Lukko back onto level terms. Henri Kanninen scored the winner for JYP at 48:25.
* Lukko were able to end a tough week with a much needed win over local rivals TPS. Patrik Virta scored for the Turku side at 11:22, but Lukko countered with Toni Suuronen and Sami Lahteenmaki, before Tomi Kallio tied the game for TPS with less than five minutes left in the game to force overtime. The sides could not find a winner so the game had to be settled by a shoot-out. Both sides missed their first three attempts, before Virta missed his chance for TPS. Ville Vahalahti then scored with the next chance to send the points back to Rauma.
Lukko are now on 42 points with struggling KooKoo just two points better off in 13th place.
Tappara – Are still top of the standings, but their lead has been cut to just three points over KalPa after playing a game less than their rivals from Kuopio and going down to city Rivals Ilves in the Tampere derby.
* Tappara got off to the best possible start in Jyvaskala after Jan-Mikael Jarvinen scored just 33 seconds into the game. However, Jani Tuppurainen tied it mid-way through the opening period before Martin Raymark restored Tappara’s advantage five minutes later. Teemu Nurmi, netted what proved to be the game winner early into the second period as Antti Suomela pulled one back for JYP at 52:29.
* However, they lost their latest local derby game against Ilves on Thursday, after being unable to contain Juho Liuksiala or Jerry D’Amigo. Liuksiala opened and closed the scoring for Ilves while D’Amigo had a hand in all three of his sides goals with a trio of assists. Olli Vainio doubled Ilves’ lead at 22:17, but just over a minute later Tappara looked like they were back in the game when Alexander Bonsaksen netted at 22:36. However, as Tappara pushed to find the equalising goal, they left themselves over-exposed at the back and that allowed Liuksiala to pop up with his second effort of the night.
KalPa – Now find themselves on 77 points, three back on leaders Tappara after three straight 2-1 victories last week.
* They had to come from behind from a Ville Koho strike to grab the points against SaiPa in Lappeenranta. Jaakko Rissanen levelled the scores just over a minute after the Kuopio side had fallen behind and then before the middle peiord had ended Arttu Ilomaki netted what proved to be the game winner.
* It was second versus third on Thursday as KalPa were able to skate off with an overtime victory courtesy of Juuso Riikola. Matias Myttynen had scored mid-way through the opening period, only for Henrik Tallinder to tie the game at 36:16. With no further scoring it was set up for Riikola to hit the winner.
* Otto Leskinen and Arttu Ilomaki scored the goals to give KalPa the points against HPK. Joni Tuulola had tied the game just after the mid-way point but Ilomaki scored with just over three minutes left in the contest to seal the win.
TPS remain in third place despite losing to bottom placed side Lukko in a shoot-out. They needed another shoot-out to win in Mikkeli last Tuesday after the game was tied at one during regulation. Topi Nattinen and Erik Thorell traded goals during the opening period but there was no further scoring after that and so the contest had to be settled by penalty shots. Jukurit missed all three of their attempts, which included an effort by their goal scorer Nattinen. Thorell also missed his chance for TPS along with Markus Nurmi, but Ilkka Heikkinen proved to be the hero with the Turku-side’s third attempt.
HIFK are still in sixth place after two wins and a defeat last week.
* Jussi Makkonen and Antti Kerala scored the goals for Assat in their win over the Helsinki club. Roope Hintz replied for the visitors.
* They got back to winning ways against Jukurit with a 4-1 win. Saku Salmela, Arttu Luttinen, Lennart Petrell and Juhamatti Aaltonen all netted for the Capital-city side, while Turo Asplund responded for Jukurit with a late consolation.
* HIFK recovered from going a goal down to Kai Kantola’s marker at 19:33, to claim the points. Mikael Johansson had them back on level terms, early in the third period, before Rooper Hintz gave them the lead, but Terry Broadhurst, forced the game into overtime and then a shootout, after he scored at 51:35. Both teams missed their first three attempts in the shoot-out before Jusso Puustinen finally made the break through. Anrei Hakulinen missed his second penalty shot of the contest to confirm HIFK’s victory.
JYP - Claimed an important win in Vaasa on Saturday after beating their hosts 5-2. Jani Tuppurainen, Michel Miklik, Janne Tavi, Tuomas Pihlman and Juha-Pekka Hytonen all scored for the visitors while, Filip Riska and Aleksi Ainali responded for Sport.
SaiPa - Sport, the team from Vaasa, threw away a two goal lead against struggling SaiPa, to lose in a shoot-out. Erik Riska and Joel Kiviranta both scored to give Sport a 2-0 score at 43:06, but SaiPa netted twice in just 37 seconds to tie the game up. Brock Trotter and Tero Koskiranta scoring the goals to force the game into overtime, and then eventually a shoot-out. Both sides failed to convert any of their first five attempts, and so we went into Round 6 of the shoot-out. Lassi Kokkala missed his chance for Sport, and in so doing paved the way for Elmeri Kaksonen to hit the winner in a game which looked well out of reach, with ten minutes still to go.
SaiPa, went down to a heavy defeat at the hands of Karpat. John Albert gave the Oulu-based side an early lead, but Lasse Lappalainen levelled things before the first break. The sides swapped goals again during the second period when first Antti Kalapudas restored Karpat’s lead, only for Curtis Hamitlon to tie things up once again. However Karpat then hit three unanswered goals to claim the spoils. Lasse Kukkonen, Antti Kalapudas and Ville Laskinen all converting.
Others
Erik Riska was instrumental in Sport Vaasa seeing off Ilves last Tuesday. Riska netted twice during the middle session to help his side skate off with a 4-2 win. Ari Grondahl had scored for Sport after only 59 seconds, but Ilves levelled through Topias Haapanen early in the second. Riska then grabbed his brace before Niko Ahoniemi scored late to make the game interesting. Lassi Kokkala then made the game safe for Sport with 44 seconds left.
Assat eased to victory over Karpat with goals from Charles Bertrand, Matias Varttinen and Niko Peltola. Mika Pyorala scored the only goal of the game for the side from Oulu.
Tuesday, January 03
Ilves v Sport 2-4
Jukurit v TPS 1-2
JYP v Tappara 2-3
Lukko v Karpat 3-7
Pelicans v KooKoo 4-1
SaiPa v KalPa 1-2
Assat v HIFK 2-1
Thursday, January 05
HIFK v Jukurit 4-1
KalPa v TPS 2-1
Lukko v JYP 1-2
Pelicans v HPK 2-6
Sport v SaiPa 2-3
Tappara v Ilves 1-3
Assat v Karpat 3-1
Saturday, January 07
HPK v KalPa 1-2
Ilves v Pelicans 3-4
KooKoo v HIFK 2-3
Karpat v SaiPa 5-2
Sport v JYP 2-5
TPS v Lukko 2-3
Mestis
SaPKo – It was another productive week for the team from Savenlinna. Two games played, two wins and 11 goals scored! As they mainitained their place at the top of the standings. Hokki were beaten 4-0 away last Wednesday before K-Vantaa were dispatched 7-2 on Saturday. SaPKo are now on 72 points and lead TUTO by nine.
* The side from Turku, are desperately trying to keep pace with SaPKo and managed to hit 15 goals in two games themselves, dispatching fourth-placed JYP Akatemia 9-3 at home before beating IPK in Iisalmi 6-2. However TUTO’s title chances were dealt a severe blow after they lost 3-1 in Joensuu Saturday, to Jokipojat.
* In a week for high score lines, and teams hitting a large number of individual goals, KeuPa HT decided they would join the party after hitting JYP Akatemia 9-3 as well. It was a tough week for the side from Jyvaskyla who saw themselves concede 18 goals in just two days on home ice. KeuPa HT were kept scoreless the following day though as they lost 3-0 to Hermes at home. That keeps the side in Seventh place after last week’s games.
* JYP Akatemia were able to win their third game of the week though, in another nine goal thriller, this time beating Peliitat 5-4 in Heinola.
* Struggling Espoo United were in action three times last week as well and after getting off to a good start with a home win over LeKi, they then travelled North and followed that up with another success on the road. Beating Roki 2-1 before losing 4-3 away to Hokki.
* Elsewhere there were homes wins for Hermes over Jokipojat [7-2], Roki over IPK [3-2] and Leki over Peliitat [5-4]
Wednesday, January 04
Hermes v Jokipojat 7-2
RoKi v IPK 3-2
Hokki v SaPKo 0-4
Espoo United v LeKi 1-0
TUTO v JYP Akatemia 9-3
Friday, January 06
JYP Akatemia v KeuPa HT 3-9
RoKi v Espoo United 1-2
IPK v TUTO 2-6
Leki v Peliitat 5-4
Saturday, January 07
SaPKo v K-Vantaa 7-2
Peliitat v JYP Akatemia 4-5
KeuPa HT v Hermes 0-3
Jokipojat v TUTO 3-1
Hokki v Espoo United 4-3
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