And then there were four...

Hockey play-offs move into semi-final phase according to regular season rankings

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This season’s Finnish ice hockey playoffs moved to the semi-final phase over the Easter weekend, as four teams disposed of their quarter-final opponents and sent them off to their summer holidays.
      On Good Friday, Helsinki Jokerit advanced at the expense of Pelicans of Lahti, Oulu Kärpät beat off the challenge of Ilves from Tampere, and the other Tampere side Tappara disposed of JYP Jyväskylä.
      In all three cases the winning teams required six matches to win the best-of-seven series.
     
A few days earlier, the capital area’s interest in the play-offs was reduced by one team, as Espoo Blues defeated HIFK Helsinki 4-1 in matches, winning the fifth game by the same 4-1 scoreline.
     
The first round of the semi-final stage was played on Monday evening, with Kärpät - the regular season winners - defeating Tappara 4-3 at home, while Jokerit sprang a minor surprise by edging regular season runners-up Blues 3-2 after 10:43 of overtime in Espoo.
      The quartet of teams left in it were all in the top four at the end of the regular season, so the play-offs have gone “according to seeding” thus far.
     
Once again, four victories are necessary to progress to the final, and Kärpät and Jokerit will get a chance to add a second notch to their belts on Wednesday in Tampere and Helsinki. This year’s champions will be decided no later than April 15th, when the possible seventh game of the best-of-seven finals will be played.
      Last season Kärpät emerged top of the pile, beating Jokerit in the final, so a repeat performance could be in prospect.
      Espoo Blues are the only team of the four hopefuls never to have won a championship medal of any colour - Tappara are 8-time winners, most recently in 2003.


Links:
  SM-Liiga, Finland´s Premier Hockey League (Wikipedia)

Helsingin Sanomat