Liiga - When 2-0 is not enough
08 Apr 2014 | Markus Nisius
Both home teams blow 2-0 leads in Game 4 to give the favourites the comfortable situation of a 3-1 lead in the series.
Lukko Rauma vs Tappara Tampere 2-3 OT (Playoff 1-3)
After they managed to cut the series lead of Tappara in
half, Lukko wanted to tie the series in their second home game and started
well. After 4 minutes Ilkka Mikkola used the very first power-play to get Lukko
in the lead, assisted by Petteri Nummelin. With not even a minute left in the
period Ville Nieminen was sent to the penalty box for Tappara and provided
Rauma with their second power-play of the night. This time Nummelin scored on a
feed of Mikkola. But what had been built up with so much hard work was blown away in
less than 6 minutes. Markus Kankaanperä and Joukka Voutilainen tied up the
game. Both goalies Zapolski and Metsola should not allow any more goals in
regulation and so the game went into overtime. After 5:15 minutes in OT it was
Josh Green, who got the game winner for Tampere, who can eliminate Lukko on Wednesday.
SaiPa Lappeenranta vs Kärpät Oulu 2-3 (Playoff 1-3)
Same situation in this game. SaiPa won its first game of the
series on the road and wanted to even the series now at home. Though, SaiPa
needed a bit more time than Lukko to turn up the heat on Oulu, but eventually
they did. With 1:14 minutes left in the first period Jesse Mankinen scored for
Lappeenranta. And also SaiPa should grab a 2-0 lead when Janne Tavi scored on
the power-play 5:22 into the second period. 90 seconds later Oulu’s topline of
Aaltonen, Pyörälä and Pirnes brought Kärpät on the board. In the last period
Oulu took over the control of the game and finally scored two more goals within
only one minute shortly before the game ended to turn it around just in time.
Mika Pyörälä after 56 minutes and then Ben Maxwell generated a lot of
frustration in Lappeenranta, who will now face elimination in Oulu on Wednesday.