FINLAND – The SM-Liiga regular season has wrapped up and couple of the teams have played their first playoff games, in series that is commonly known as the pity play-offs. In the SM-Liiga teams seeded 7th through to 10th will play a best of three series to determine whose season will extend into the actual play-offs and which two teams can dig out the beach balls and barbeques.
This year the battle for a playoff spot was between HPK (Finished regular season 7th) and Ilves (Finished 10th) for the battle of the Häme region and Kärpät (Finished 8th) who faced Espoo Blues (Finished 9th). In both match ups the higher ranked teams were favourites to proceed onto the post season, but the series’ turned out to provide plentiful of surprise.
Also Pelicans from Lahti prepare to battle for their survival in the SM-Liiga as the Mestis champion is now known.
HPK v Ilves
Ilves surprised many to qualify for the first post season battle as early predictions of the teams’ success placed the team in the basement of the league. However, Ilves’ style of play and its young, energetic roster took many by surprise.
Ilves provided more surprise when it met HPK at the Hämeenlinna Ritari Arena. Many teams say that it is the toughest arena to play in, but Ilves proved otherwise as it took the first meeting with a goal difference of 5-3.
This then left HPK to try and force a game three decision at Hakametsä in Tampere. Ilves had gained a lot of confidence from its road win against its rivals, and where HPK tried everything to prevent the team from receiving beach balls from the Tampere crowd, it wasn’t enough as a late third period power play goal for Ilves put the final nail into HPK’s coffin.
Ilves will therefore proceed to the quarter finals and will face regular season winners JYP in a best of seven series.
Karpat v Blues
Karpat, the most expensive team in the SM-League faced Espoo Blues. Much like HPK, Karpat were the clear favourites to proceed from the series. The first game in Oulu finished in favour of Blues, who skated away with a 3-2 win in an overtime thriller.
Karpat, however fought back at Espoo, where the team forced the third and final game after a decisive 5-3 win over Blues. Many guessed that the 5-3 loss was too much for Blues and that Karpat would be able to finish the job on home ice.
The third meeting between the teams was far from a high scoring affair. Both teams played carefully and the game was sent into overtime after the score was locked at 1-1 after 60 minutes of play. It almost looked like there would be need for more than one extra period as neither team could find a way to the back of the net. Until Blues’ Petri Lammassaari scored at 78:00 minute mark of the game sending Karpat to a long summer break.
The SM-Liiga Playoffs will start today (Friday 18th of March) and the pairings are as follow:
JYP – Ilves
Assat – Blues
HIFK – Jokerit
Lukko – Kalpa
Possibly the most intense series is between HIFK and Jokerit as the teams decide who is the king of Helsinki, so there is more than just a place in the semi finals in play as the bragging rights for Helsinki are on the line.
Fight for Survival
After a dismal season, Pelicans will be fighting for its life in the SM-Liiga as it finished dead last in the league. It was a toss between the two bottom teams (TPS and Pelicans) who would end up fighting for their survival. TPS won its last game of the season dramatically in penalty shoot out, meaning that Pelicans were relegated to the last place.
Pelicans will meet Vaasan Sport from Mestis in the relegation/promotion series. This is the second time in three years that Sport is trying to crack into the SM-Liiga level.
Elsewhere:
Just as the NHL GM’s were discussing head shots and concussions, it would appear the problem is not limited to the NHL only. In a recent C-95 (Players born in 1995) junior game between Pirkkalan Pingviinit and VG-62 teams got sad undertones from an intentional blow to the head.
A VG-62 player who was serving a 2 minute minor, seemed to have lost the plot in the game and started shouting racial abuse toward an opposing. Reportedly he encouraged his teammates to “kill the f**** n*****”. Once the penalised player had served his penalty he charged at the player he had been taunting and delivered a blow to the head. The impact was so severe that the Pingviini player was in and out of consciousness and was diagnosed to have a concussion and a torn cartilage in his neck. The players’ parents have reported the incident to the police who are now investigating the incident as an assault.
Contact Janne.Virtanen@prohockeynews.com
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