Ilves hold top spot with Jokerit shutout as Jukurit edge Karpat in overtime

[p]Defeats to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vaasan-sport/Qqy8aCTd/"]Vaasan Sport[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lukko-rauman/hdqQJQgc/"]Lukko[/a] had derailed [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ilves-tampere/Oh5uGzDT/"]Ilves[/a][/b]' great start and only the poor form of those around them had kept them top, but [b]a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/ilves-Oh5uGzDT/jokerit-fuhTCfLp/?mid=ANdccs3C"]3-0[/a] win at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jokerit/fuhTCfLp/"]Jokerit[/a] put them back on track[/b] and two points clear, while the newly-promoted side stay 16th after failing to build on their Helsinki derby victory.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hynninen-topi/x677HzNS/"]Topi Hynninen[/a] broke the deadlock in the final seconds of the opening period, though Ilves had to wait until six minutes into period two to build on that, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sund-tony/jg6yl52J/"]Tony Sund[/a] struck before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/henman-luke/ADRnATR0/"]Luke Henman[/a] added an empty-net goal in the last minute. [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/armalis-mantas/hfrrcLY3/"]Mantas Armalis[/a] saved all of the 16 shots on goal Jokerit produced.[/b][/p][embed guid="12f11662-2a9b-45d5-841b-69f645775e69" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2108931206624805275" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jukurit/vmuCbWr3/"]Jukurit[/a][/b] had twice failed to take advantage of Ilves' slip-ups thanks to losses to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/assat-pori/I9wm5xTA/"]Assat[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kookoo/ljjApDE3/"]KooKoo[/a], but [b]a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/jukurit-vmuCbWr3/karpat-fPJxL2x2/?mid=Im05eLXO"]2-1[/a] win in overtime over fourth-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/karpat-oulu/fPJxL2x2/"]Karpat[/a][/b] proved their good form hasn't deserted them, while the Oulu side's last four matches have all gone to overtime, resulting in two wins and two defeats.[/p][p]Another defeat was on the cards for the Mikkeli side when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tichacek-jiri/GfG3SPxI/"]Jiri Tichacek[/a] gave Karpat a second-period lead, but not only did [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sjodin-linus/Ghwmxaxh/"]Linus Sjodin[/a] equalise three minutes from time, but Jukurit completed the turnaround when [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lintuniemi-alex/KSx9aCbH/"]Alex Lintuniemi[/a] found the net in the second minute of OT.[/b][/p][embed guid="f74dbad9-d967-42c7-9ac1-e2190b2fa5ca" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2108960113021030561" social-type="twitter" /][p]Responding well to their defeat in the derby were [b]I[/b][b]FK Helsinki, who climbed out of the bottom three with a thumping [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/ifk-helsinki-Ige43GcN/kalpa-tMuMK6vi/?mid=4ror1P3m"]6-1[/a] win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kalpa-kuopio/tMuMK6vi/"]KalPa[/a][/b]. It's two wins in three for the capital side, while the team from Kuopio have lost three on the bounce and remain three points outside the postseason places.[/p][p]Goals from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/huuhtanen-niko/bmsdT8O1/"]Niko Huuhtanen[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/melart-ilari/Iwewl18L/"]Ilari Melart[/a] for the hosts and one from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/klemetti-aleksi/GQGmniGs/"]Aleksi Klemetti[/a] gave HIFK a narrow lead going into the third period, but any nerves were quickly forgotten when[b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/liukas-eetu/67ROSv6K/"]Eetu Liukas[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vanhatalo-lassi/Oxs1cWWH/"]Lassi Vanhatalo[/a] scored in the first two minutes, before HIFK added the finishing touches with Liukas' second[/b] and one from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pakarinen-iiro/8Qzo8s8e/"]Iiro Pakarinen[/a].[/p][embed guid="1b763991-ce58-4ec9-8880-573f86749865" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2108972352969245034" social-type="twitter" /][p]The division's two sides with the best form sit in ninth and tenth, respectively, on four wins in a row. The first is [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tappara/llrWVOwG/"]Tappara[/a], who needed penalties to keep their run going against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tps-turku/Wd5rVrgM/"]TPS Turku[/a][/b], for whom the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/tappara-llrWVOwG/tps-turku-Wd5rVrgM/?mid=tQwND2mg"]4-3[/a] defeat is their third loss in four as they sit 11th.[/p][p]TPS led 2-1 after one period as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wernblom-lukas/CtUX4moN/"]Lukas Wernblom[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bryggman-lars/boWd01ar/"]Lars Bryggman[/a] scored either side of an [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rasanen-aapeli/AVC7CGcF/"]Aapeli Rasanen[/a] goal for Tappara, who were level five minutes into the second through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tuulola-joni/xpsGoyZp/"]Joni Tuulola[/a]. Bryggman put the away side back in front before the period was out, but early penalties in the third allowed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/simontaival-kasper/AoVpUCbM/"]Kasper Simontaival[/a] to level again and send the match to overtime. After no goals there, [b]Rasanen was the only player to score in the shootout[/b], handing Tappara another victory.[/p][embed guid="5014389e-2d14-4801-ac72-8070a6ff6756" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2108935580138484058" social-type="twitter" /][p]Also on four wins in their last four are [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hameenlinna/zV5a4drH/"]Hameenlinna[/a], who got the better of KooKoo [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/hameenlinna-zV5a4drH/kookoo-ljjApDE3/?mid=xdqja3Ya"]5-3[/a][/b] to match Tappara in taking 10 points from those four matches. KooKoo remain on four points all season after not building on their win against Jukurit last time out.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/korhonen-olli/rwnUZ9qd/"]Olli Korhonen[/a]'s opener was met by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grondahl-ari/OAlEbvt2/"]Ari Grondahl[/a]'s equaliser in the first period, but KooKoo had no response when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/palola-olli/dQmcXvXK/"]Olli Palola[/a] gave HPK the lead again late in the second, as [b]Korhonen extended it early in the third when shorthanded[/b]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/meskanen-ville/xKmHxIvN/"]Ville Meskanen[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/luoto-oskari/bsEX1802/"]Oskari Luoto[/a] both scored in the final 12 minutes as KooKoo put up a fight, but those strikes were met by [b]goals from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-jong-ethan/hxkQu9xl/"]Ethan de Jong[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vesterinen-roope/ImsIQpNf/"]Roope Vesterinen[/a] as Hameenlinna kept their opponents at arm's length[/b] late on.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/finland/liiga/"]Follow the Liiga on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]