SaiPa Beats KooKoo, Evens Liiga Semi-Final Series

SaiPa-KooKoo deadlocked at after SaiPa’s game 4 shutout

SaiPa shut out KooKoo 3-0 to tie their Liiga playoff semi-final 2-2. Piiroinen had 22 saves and Siikanen scored the winner as the series heads to Game 5.

Siikanen’s power-play goal opened the scoring before Bau and Nikkanen sealed the 3-0 result...

 

The Liiga playoff semi-final between SaiPa and KooKoo is tied 2-2 after four games, with hosts SaiPa securing a 3-0 home win for their second straight victory.

KooKoo took control early with two two-goal victories, but SaiPa shifted the series momentum with a 4-2 win in Game 3 followed by tonight’s shutout to even the best-of-seven.

  

Game 4 started as a slow shift in momentum. The first period ended scoreless despite a power play for each team, but SaiPa controlled play with a 15-7 edge in shots on goal.

The opening period still proved decisive when KooKoo’s Manu Makela was called for tripping with four seconds left.

Opening the second period on the power play, SaiPa stretched KooKoo’s defense and Patrik Siikanen capitalized, scoring from the left wing off a feed from Antti Kalapudas

🚨 Samu Bau kasvattaa @Liiga_SaiPa:n johtoa! 🔥🙌

📺 @MTVUrheilu | #Liiga pic.twitter.com/hRxboBsuiM

— Liiga (@smliiga) April 24, 2026

Siikanen took a high-sticking penalty moments later, but KooKoo couldn’t convert. That miss proved costly when Samu Bau raced into the KooKoo zone late in the period and beat the goaltender near post to make it 2-0.

  

SaiPa locked it down defensively in the third, holding KooKoo to seven shots. Kari Piiroinen stopped all 22 he faced to secure the playoff shutout.

 

The Lappeenranta side sealed the 3-0 win with Henri Nikkanen’s empty-net goal in the final three minutes. Kalapudas and Otto Kivenmaki each picked up their second assist on the play. The series lead is up for grabs in Game 5 on Saturday, April 25 in Kouvola.