Lukko – Luleå 2:5 (end) | SaiPa – Kärpät 0:2 (end) | IFK Helsinki – Frölunda 2:1 (end)
Linköping – Skellefteå 1:2 (end)
final
SaiPa Lappeenranta
0:2 (0:0, 0:2, 0:0)
Kärpät Oulu
Tuesday 02.12.2014, 17:30 • Kisapuisto • Champions League
     
    Welcome. Game starts at 17:30.
     
    Hello my name is Kalle Mantere and I welcome you to follow the CHL Quarterfinals. Tomorrow night SaiPa Lappeenranta will face off against the reigning Finnish champion Oulun Kärpät in a all-finn battle for the place in the Top-4.

    Even though SaiPa has taken points in it's games it has had problems with winning them during regular time in the finnish league. A week ago they finally took first three point win against TPS in almost two months. The last win was from october 4th when the team beat newly promoted Vaasan Sport 6-2 at home.

    In the CHL SaiPa has also battled against productivity. In the first round of playoffs the team lost to Genéve-Servette in Switzerland 2-0, but won the second leg at home 4-2 and after a thrilling shoot-out advanced to the quarter finals.

    SaiPa and Kärpät are familiar with each other. Even though they have met only once this season, with Kärpät collecting the win with a 3-0 score, they faced each other also last seasons semifinals. On that occasion Kärpät was the better team, winning the series 4-1 and ultimately winning the championship over Tappara.

    After struggling early in the season Kärpät is on a roll. From the last 11 games they've won seven and ended up three times playing the overtime, so the northest team in the league has collected 26 points from possible 33 during the run.

    Kärpät faced Austrian Vienna Capitals on the first round of the playoffs and advanced to quarter finals with a 6-3 aggregate.

    Kärpät will bring some familiar faces to Lappeenranta as forward Patrick Davis and defencemen Ryan Glenn and Dan Spang will be facing their former teammates for the first time at Kisapuisto.

    The game will start 17.30 CET, 18.30 finnish time.
     
    Team rosters will be available at 18.00 (17.00 CET)
     
    Starting lineups:

    SaiPa Lappeenranta: Markkanen (Bernard) – Salcido, Riikola, Löfquist, Ahonen, Maalahti, Backman, Lappalainen – Spina, Koho, Tavi – Mankinen, McIntyre, Järvinen – Venäläinen, Hämäläinen, Jokinen – Vainikainen, Pitkänen, Kuronen – Leivo

    Kärpät Oulu: Tarkki (Karhunen) – Kukkonen, Masuhr, Laatikainen, Glenn, Spang, Vallin, Niemelä – Pyörälä, Pirnes, Davis – Haataja, Manninen, Huml – Aho, Kemppainen, Donskoi – Keränen, Suoranta, Alikoski – Puljujärvi

    Referees: Nord (SWE), Linde (SWE) – Saha (FIN), Puolakka (FIN).
     
    The cheerleaders are on the ice. I guess the game is ready to start.
     
    We're ready to start.
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    2:02
    First stop of play as the puck is shot into the netting behind the goal.
     
    4:26
    Glenn is getting whistled every time he touches the puck.
     
    9:03
    Kärpät is the dominating team so far, but no real scoring chances for either team.
     
    10:59
    Sebastian Aho has the first chance of the game, but can't put the puck past Markkanen shortside.
    Liiga teams playing against each other in CHL. Which one will be the European champion? Greetings from Kisapuisto!
     
    14:06
    Rony Ahonen takes wristshot and it whistles right past the post, but from the wrong side of the goal.
     
    15:47
    SaiPa puts pressure, but Iiro Tarkki makes an excellent glove save on Salcido's slapshot.
     
    17:01
    First penalty of the game. Tomi Leivo slashes behind the goal and is called for it.
     
    18:38
    Kärpät makes the first goal of the game, but it's no good. It's made with a highstick. Still the referee decides to review it from a video.
     
    18:38
    No goal. The puck was played with a highstick.
     
    19:01
    Both teams at full strenght.
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    The game is scoreless after first period.

    Shots on goal SaiPa 3, Kärpät 0

    The game will resume at 19:21 (18:21 CET)
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    20:42
    SaiPa puts the squeeze on Kärpät from the start. Few good saves from Tarkki.
     
    22:10
    Promoted from the junior team Ville Vainikainen gives huge hit on Lasse Kukkonen. SaiPa is skating more than their opponent.
     
    22:54
    Penalty for SaiPa. Ville Hämäläinen is sent to the box for slashing.
     
    22:57
    Goal for Kärpät!
    Hämäläinen gets to sit in the box for 3 seconds as Juha-Pekka Haataja passes the puck to the side of the net and JOONAS DONSKOI puts it in the empty net. ASSISTED BY: Juha-Pekka Haataja, Ivan Huml. 0-1
    DONSKOI - 0:1

     
    28:45
    First penalty of the game for Kärpät. Juha-Pekka Haataja boards dangerously Simo-Pekka Riikola. Still he's called for hooking.
     
    30:45
    Both teams are at full strenght. With the exeption of few shots on goal, no chances for SaiPa.
     
    31:44
    Penalty for Kärpät. Ryan Glenn hits Mikael Kuronen the head with a tackle and gets 2+10 for it.
     
    31:44
    The two minute penalty is served by Sebastian Aho.
     
    33:44
    Goal for Kärpät!

    Just as Kärpät gets Aho from the penaltybox, JOONAS DONSKOI scores from an excellent pass by Joonas Kemppainen. ASSITED BY: Joonas Kemppainen
    DONSKOI - 0:2
     
    36:28
    Rony Ahonen slaps it from the blueline and hits the post. Still 0-2 to Kärpät.
     
    38:03
    Sebastian Aho has a chance to make it 0-3, but Markkanen makes a nice padsave.
     
    38:29
    Arto Laatikainen (KÄR) is called for interference after a draw.
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    SaiPa was the dominating one in the second period, but Kärpät was the one scoring the goals.

    Shots on goal in the 2nd period. SaiPa 11, Kärpät 6

    The game wil resume at 20.17 (19.17 CET)
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    And we are ready to start the 3rd period. SaiPa has 29 seconds left on the powerplay.
     
    40:29
    Both teams are at full strenght.
     
    42:17
    Tomi Leivo cross checks Mika Pyörälä on the attacking zone and is sent to the sin bin.
     
    50:46
    Kärpät is taking it easy, they have a safe lead at this point. SaiPa tries to put pressure on the Kärpät-defence, but no luck so far.
     
    Today's attendance is 2187.
     
    52:21
    Brian Salcido (SAI) hooks Joonas Kemppainen and prevents a scoring chance from him.
     
    55:01
    Less than 5 minutes to go and SaiPa is looking for answers for scoring.
     
    55:20
    Huge glove save by Tarkki.
     
    57:20
    Patrick Davis (KÄR) has a wide open net, but manages to put the puck wide of the goal.
     
    59:59
    SaiPa can't score on Kärpät and has played now six periods against Kärpät without scoring a goal.
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    Shots on the goal in the third period.

    SaiPa 2 shots, Kärpät 6 shots.

    Total shot in the game

    SaiPa 16 shots, Kärpät 12 shots.
     
    Joonas Donskoi (Kärpät Oulu) about his goals:
    1-0 "First time we did it. We didn't even practice it. It was just something that our Head Coach drew on the board. I'd say it worked really well."

    2-0 "I got an excellent pass from Kemppainen and got to backhand it towards the goal. It's always nice to score shorthanded."
     
    Thank you for following! (21:43:55)
    Recommend
    Commentary by

    Kalle Mantere

    CZ@kallemantere

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 23. Donskoi (Haataja, Huml), 34. Donskoi (Kemppainen)

    SaiPa Lappeenranta: Markkanen (Bernard) – Salcido, Riikola, Löfquist, Ahonen, Maalahti, Backman, Lappalainen – Spina, Koho, Tavi – Mankinen, McIntyre, Järvinen – Venäläinen, Hämäläinen, Jokinen – Vainikainen, Pitkänen, Kuronen – Leivo.
    Kärpät Oulu: Tarkki (Karhunen) – Kukkonen, Masuhr, Laatikainen, Glenn, Spang, Vallin, Niemelä – Pyörälä, Pirnes, Davis – Haataja, Manninen, Huml – Aho, Kemppainen, Donskoi – Keränen, Suoranta, Alikoski – Puljujärvi.
    Referees: Nord (SWE), Linde (SWE) – Saha (FIN), Puolakka (FIN)
    Attendance: 2187
    Second match
    Tuesday 09.12.2014