Liiga Finals: KooKoo two wins from the trophy after narrow win over Tappara

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kookoo/ljjApDE3/"]KooKoo[/a] ruffled some feathers with a 4-2 away win in game one, and were up against a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tappara/llrWVOwG/"]Tappara[/a] side looking to give them a taste of their own medicine back in Kouvola. But after surviving the opening powerplay, awarded after slashing by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/valkeejarvi-samuel/OY0vfm58/"]Samuel Valkeejarvi[/a], the home side then took the lead on the first powerplay of their own.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blichfeld-joachim/zD6cncwU/"]Joachim Blichfeld[/a] was called for interference, and with 12 minutes played, [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/miettinen-veeti/YuStjev4/"]Veeti Miettinen[/a]'s shot was saved, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/siikonen-miska/Ue7NilOn/"]Miska Siikonen[/a] set the rebound back for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rooba-robert/GxRw6E28/"]Robert Rooba[/a] to strike home.[/b][/p][p]But at the start of the second period, Tappara regained their composure and got themselves level just three minutes in, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mattila-julius/l42pRHZh/"]Julius Mattila[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haapala-henrik/GCsbPPgB/"]Henrik Haapala[/a] linked up superbly behind the net before squaring for[b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/simontaival-kasper/AoVpUCbM/"]Kasper Simontaival[/a] to finish[/b] from in front.[/p][embed guid="ed40d601-39b6-46ff-b8b0-d1b0ac111f39" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2051362470397186524" social-type="twitter" /][p]Parity lasted just over five minutes, as [b]Miettinen received a pass[/b] on the left wing, and despite having a tight angle to work with, [b]managed to fire the puck past the goaltender[/b] to restore KooKoo's lead.[/p][p]But back came the Tampere side again, equalising once more with a little over two minutes left in the second, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tanus-kristian/xSsQo1jE/"]Kristian Tanus[/a] carried the puck in front of the net, causing a pile-up where[b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tuulola-joni/xpsGoyZp/"]Joni Tuulola[/a] knocked the puck against Tanus and in[/b] amid the scramble.[/p][p]However, the visiting side were unable to stop KooKoo going ahead for the third time - seven minutes into the third period, Miettinen knocked the puck back to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suomi-jimi/lnR8RGW8/"]Jimi Suomi[/a] following a face-off and he squared to [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/meskanen-ville/xKmHxIvN/"]Ville Meskanen[/a], who wound up a pyledriver that flew into the net from distance.[/b][/p][embed guid="b29496d9-f712-425f-90dc-918fc4f32945" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2051357111448174900" social-type="twitter" /][p]KooKoo conceded a late powerplay, but this time Tappara were unable to respond, denied by desperate last-ditch defending from the home side in the final seconds, as KooKoo held on for a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/kookoo-ljjApDE3/tappara-llrWVOwG/?mid=Ue5nQ57M"]3-2[/a] win that takes them 2-0 up in the series, which returns to Tampere for game three on 6th May.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/finland/liiga/"]Follow the 2026 Liiga finals on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]