KooKoo Stun Tappara 4-2 in Liiga Finals Opener

KooKoo take game 1 on the road in Liiga Finals

Vilmos Gallo, Jimi Suomi, and Marcus Davidsson scored for KooKoo. Justin Addamo netted twice for Tappara in the loss. Otto Paajanen sealed it with an empty-net goal late. 

KooKoo host game two in Kouvola on May 4. Tappara aim to bounce back after dropping the series opener...

KooKoo struck first in the Liiga Finals, traveling to Tampere and beating Tappara 4-2 in game one of the series that will decide Finland’s champion.  

The regular season’s top two teams both advanced through six-game semi-finals and were set for a tight final. Tappara started well and looked in control as Christian Heljanko shut things down in goal, but KooKoo eventually broke through to take the lead.

Tappara opened the scoring just past the 14-minute mark. After dumping the puck behind the KooKoo net, Emil Sylvegard and Ondrej Pavel battled to regain possession and fed Justin Addamo, who finished to make it 1-0.  

KooKoo replied within a minute. Vilmos Gallo skated through the Tappara defense and buried a slick solo goal to level it before the first intermission.  

Heljanko continued to frustrate KooKoo in the second period, but the game shifted midway through when Jimi Suomi drove in from the left, deked past the defense, and fired high over the goalie for another individual effort.

KooKoo stretched the lead to 3-1 just three minutes later. Joonas Oden picked up the puck at center ice and slid it across for Marcus Davidsson to finish from close range.  

KooKoo killed off a Tappara power play with 10 minutes left, but conceded shortly after returning to full strength when Joachim Blichfeld’s pass was deflected in by Addamo.  

Tappara pulled Heljanko for an extra attacker in the final push, but Robert Rooba chased down a clearance and set up Otto Paajanen for an empty-net tap-in that sealed a 4-2 win for KooKoo.  

Game two is in Kouvola on May 4, with Tappara looking to level the series on the road.