Liiga roundup: JYP cling on to fourth in OT as Lukko scrape past TPS in shootout

[p]Slipping out of the top four with a loss to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pelicans-lahti/nJrUIp93/"]Pelicans[/a] last time out, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lukko-rauman/hdqQJQgc/"]Lukko[/a] needed to bounce back quickly against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tps-turku/Wd5rVrgM/"]TPS Turku[/a] on the road, but the springboard they required was nowhere to be seen in the first period, in which [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/savinainen-veli-matti/rPdgInC0/"]Veli-Matti Savinainen[/a] gave the home side the lead.[/p][p]After a powerplay-heavy opening period, Lukko kept their discipline in the second and it looked to be paying off when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/daschke-derek/Yy2wiWKK/"]Derek Daschke[/a] equalised and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/intonen-aarne/W03w0sKM/"]Aarne Intonen[/a] put the Rauma side ahead with three minutes of the period left.[/p][p][b]However, all their hard work was undone in a crazy 15 seconds of play, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/munkki-vili/xlklipsB/"]Vili Munkki[/a] levelled the match again before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wernblom-lukas/CtUX4moN/"]Lukas Wernblom[/a] struck to put playoff-chasing TPS 3-2 in front.[/b][/p][p]After [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/morand-antoine/neIgVwpK/"]Antoine Morand[/a] tied things up once more five minutes into period three, neither side could force a late winner either in the remainder of the period or in overtime, and the game would be settled in a shootout. [/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ruohomaa-mikael/r5QZsdpQ/"]Mikael Ruohomaa[/a] stepped up first and scored for Lukko, before the next five penalties were all missed, meaning the visitors had claimed a 1-0 shootout success and a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/lukko-hdqQJQgc/tps-turku-Wd5rVrgM/?mid=fcd8VUHG"]4-3[/a] win in the match.[/b][/p][embed guid="67c7e0a6-8629-42e1-8742-a8efd5e666e5" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2029253087383212116" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]But Lukko remain looking up at the top four, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jyp-jyvaskyla/YVjXBEzi/"]JYP[/a] picked up two vital points of their own in a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/jyp-YVjXBEzi/kiekko-espoo-IVYOkYeB/?mid=EPLZGV2N"]3-2[/a] overtime success at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kiekko-espoo/IVYOkYeB/"]Kiekko-Espoo[/a] to stay a point clear with a game in hand.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/puustinen-juuso/8Gu2A8Yq/"]Juuso Puustinen[/a] got JYP off to a perfect start with a goal in the opening minute, but the lead was cancelled out 14 minutes later thanks to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sallinen-tomi/fg7oCmtb/"]Tomi Sallinen[/a]'s equaliser.[/p][p]The visitors were fearing the worst when KE struck again with just over a minute left in the second through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jurmo-joni/nVIwJg78/"]Joni Jurmo[/a],[b] but they held their nerve and made use of their only powerplay of the game early in the third, as Puustinen was again on hand to find the net.[/b][/p][p]Puustinen was the hero in regular time, [b]but JYP found another in overtime, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ojantakanen-valtteri/EiZFPN8I/"]Valtteri Ojantakanen[/a] scored unassisted with two minutes gone to secure a second two-point win in succession for JYP[/b], while ninth-placed Kiekko remain heading for the postseason despite one win in four.[/p][embed guid="8e3667db-1100-4a56-88bf-d07d2d89a410" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2029271061364154544" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]The upset of the night belonged to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/karpat-oulu/fPJxL2x2/"]Karpat[/a], who ended a three-game losing run and moved up a place to 14th with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/karpat-fPJxL2x2/kookoo-ljjApDE3/?mid=A9M4B9Qp"]4-3[/a] win after penalties against second-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kookoo/ljjApDE3/"]KooKoo[/a][/b], who were beaten for the first time in four games[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kantner-matyas/jc8jNkVE/"]Matyas Kanter[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/virta-patrik/rLCAvC8E/"]Patrik Virta[/a] brought Karpat from 3-1 down with four minutes to play to 3-3, and after no overtime goal, Kantner struck again to score the winner in the shootout and complete a 4-3 turnaround that takes the Oulu side to within six points of the playoffs with five games left.[/p][p]With KooKoo dropping points, [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tappara/llrWVOwG/"]Tappara[/a] were able to extend their lead at the top by beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/jukurit/vmuCbWr3/"]Jukurit[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/jukurit-vmuCbWr3/tappara-llrWVOwG/?mid=bV2aXjm4"]3-1[/a] at home[/b]. It's three wins in regulation in succession for the Battle Axe, while the Mikkeli side have dropped to 15th, also six points outside the playoffs with five matches to go.[/p][embed guid="264e2064-5f44-44b4-b45e-8cc4313efb54" url="https://x.com/smliiga/status/2029281085218078823" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/saipa/Q9sYH4O9/"]SaiPa[/a] are still third but have drawn level with KooKoo on 106 points and returned to winning ways with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/ifk-helsinki-Ige43GcN/saipa-Q9sYH4O9/?mid=hAXQIiYA"]5-2[/a] success at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ifk-helsinki/Ige43GcN/"]IFK Helsinki[/a].[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kivenmaki-otto/t2HFF6jD/"]Otto Kivenmaki[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tauslahti-miro/SQv3Cutf/"]Miro Tauslahti[/a] grabbed a goal and assist each as HIFK lost a seventh match in eight and remain three points inside the playoff places.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kalpa-kuopio/tMuMK6vi/"]KalPa[/a] remain in sixth - three points outside the top four - after cruising past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vaasan-sport/Qqy8aCTd/"]Vaasan Sport[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/kalpa-tMuMK6vi/vaasan-sport-Qqy8aCTd/?mid=QH4iZCIi"]6-1[/a][/b], though it took until the fifth minute of the second period for them to break the deadlock through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/klemetti-aleksi/GQGmniGs/"]Aleksi Klemetti[/a], as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/soderlund-tim/zw8YUIgs/"]Tim Soderlund[/a] finished with three points as the champions earned just a second win in six.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/finland/liiga/"]Follow the end of the Liiga regular season on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]