- SaiPa showcased their strong defensive identity
- Graz99ers lost for a fifth-straight time
- The Finns have now won two of their past three
SaiPa Lappeenranta re-entered the win column with their 3-1 triumph over Graz99ers. Gustavs Dāvis Grigals stayed solid between the pipes and the Finns' offence took advantage in all situations to capture their third victory of the season and secure them a sure place in the upcoming Champions Hockey League Playoffs.
Saku Salminen drew first blood for SaiPa as the Finns scored with the extra attacker nearly nine minutes into the contest. Salminen positioned himself in the slot where he finished off a pretty passing play to register his first of the year.
SaiPa extended their lead in the second when they exposed a sprawling Henri Kiviaho. The netminder made the initial post-to-post save, but was caught off balance as the loose puck found the stick of a trailing Janne Naukkarinen who swept it into the open net to give his team a two-goal cushion.
The Finns went on to score a third on a 5-on-3 powerplay late in the period, courtesy of Petr Fridrich who one-timed it into the back of the net from the far side. The play developed as Aarne Intonen circled the zone with the puck before finding a wide open Fridrich who rifled it past Kiviaho to increase SaiPa's lead to 3.
Momentum shifted slightly for Graz99ers 57 seconds into the third period when a face-off win allowed Nick Swaney to gain control of the puck and shovel it in on the backhand to manufacture his first of the season. But that would be their only tally as the Austrians would fall for a fifth-straight time.