A 1-1 deadlock sent SaiPa and Ässät to a shootout, where Ässät found the decisive finish and carried away the win. The result extended Ässät’s winning streak to five games and gave the team its first away victory of the season, while SaiPa took a point from the contest.
How the Game Played Out
Ässät struck first on a counterattack. Petteri Nikkilä carried the puck forward, and Kasimir Jyrgens finished the play to put the visitors ahead 1-0. The goal was Jyrgens’ first in an Ässät jersey. That opening gave the visitors an early foothold in a matchup between two teams the broadcast described as having started the season well.
The sequence showed Ässät threatening in transition, with Nikkilä involved in the attack and the defenders joining the rush. Later, Cameron Hillis appeared to extend the lead, but the officials reviewed the play and ruled it offside. The goal was disallowed, leaving SaiPa within reach. The review proved important: instead of facing a larger deficit, the home side still had an opportunity to get back level.
SaiPa made that opportunity count on the power play. Peter Friedrich scored to make it 1-1, his third goal for SaiPa and second power-play goal. The equalizer wiped out Ässät’s lead and set up a tense finish. The supplied play-by-play does not label the scoring sequences by period, so the clearest account is the order of the key events: Ässät went ahead, Hillis’ apparent goal was overturned, and Friedrich brought SaiPa even.
The teams remained tied through the end of play and the outcome went to a shootout. Hillis, whose earlier goal had been waved off, scored Ässät’s first successful attempt. SaiPa’s Nicolas Zabane was stopped by goaltender Bednar on the next decisive attempt described in the recap. That left Ässät with the shootout win after the 1-1 tie.
The broadcast had framed the matchup around strong early-season numbers at both ends of the ice. SaiPa had allowed four goals to that point, while Ässät had one of the league’s lowest goals-against averages and had been scoring at a high rate. With the teams level late, the difference came down to a review, a SaiPa power-play conversion and the shootout finish.
What the Result Means
Ässät moved to 14 points and extended its winning run to five games. The victory was also the team’s first on the road this season, adding a milestone to a result already secured in a pressure-filled finish. Hillis’ shootout conversion supplied the final separation after his earlier apparent goal had been removed from the board.
SaiPa reached 11 points and earned one point by taking the game to a shootout. Friedrich’s power-play goal kept the team in contention after it fell behind, but SaiPa could not turn the tie into the extra point. Ässät will look to carry its five-game run into its next outing, while SaiPa will aim to build on the point gained in a closely contested game.
Watch the Highlights
The highlight package features Jyrgens’ opening goal, the video review that overturned Hillis’ apparent score, Friedrich’s equalizer and the deciding shootout attempts. Watch the full recap in the video above for the sequence of plays that sent the game to a shootout and settled it.
Final Score: SaiPa 1, Ässät 1 (Ässät won the shootout).
Source: Liiga YouTube highlight and supplied transcript