Sakari Kostiainen is the sensation of the SM league spring

Aces–SaiPa 4–2 (match wins 2–2)

Many already The semi-final series between Ässie and SaiPa, which has seen stages with marathon matches, returns to Lappeenranta in a situation of 2–2.

That was taken care of by Ässät, who took a hugely important 4-2 win at home on Monday evening and leveled the match series.

Aces showed a tough character in a tight spot. After a scoreless second set, SaiPa went into the final set with a 2–1 lead, but then the sold-out Isomäki hall started to boil.

“This was an absolutely massive win for Äss in terms of the entire series. Even then during the marathon match, I had the feeling that this would have the makings of a classic series. Now it’s really starting to be,” Sanoma’s puck expert Top Nättinen says.

In the final Aces ignited a ecstasy – less surprisingly – with the sensational comet of spring Sakari Kostilainen.

SaiPa lost the puck in the middle area in the opening minute of the set. Kostilainen picked it up, took SaiPa’s number one star Otto Kivenmäki for coffee with a wonderful deflection between the legs and blew the home crowd into a huge jubilation with his 2-2 equalization.

“Intelligent goal! Great performance from Kostilainen. He came straight from the substitution and smelled an opportunity. It also tells about the level of self-confidence that in a 1v1 situation he starts to challenge like that. On top of that, a cool and stylish finish.”

“This goal also showed that Kostilainen is a skilled hockey player. In the public discussion, during the spring, more work was done about him, but above all, he is a skilled player”, underlines Nättinen.

Kostilainen ignited by Ässät, the spirit came to life, and a chain of four of the Porians emerged.

Arttu Alasiurua first scored a 3-2 goal in the middle of the set, and five minutes later the chain guy Roope Talaja wrapped up the night with his 4–2 hit.

“SaiPa’s downfall was that they took the lead in the opening set. After that, they hung up and waited for the end of the match.”

“This was a really strange and peculiar passivation and melting Raimo Helminen From SaiPa. They are usually always the active team. “

Nättinen also reminds that this was again a strong demonstration of the Ässie’s tenacity. Like the deciding game of the Kiekko-Espoo series in the opening round after two losses.

The playoffs Kostilainen, 19, who heads the goal exchange, has risen completely from the bush to Ässie’s talisman at the start of spring.

In the playoffs, he has already scored five goals in eight matches.

When the last eight games at the end of the regular season are included, Kostilainen has scored 12 goals in his last 16 games.

“An absolutely historic pace for a rookie player. And I don’t think that this league will end this spring. The self-confidence is so huge now,” says Nättinen.

“The harder the place gets, the better he plays.”

from Helsinki from Kostilainen, he was raised by Jokeri, who moved to Ässie’s U20 juniors last season.

There has been no question of any super promise. For example, Kostilainen has never made it to the youth national teams.

However, now at the age of 19, he has become the most talked about puck player in the country and the number one face of Pori’s spring frenzy.

In Nättinen’s opinion, Kostilainen has also been a somewhat misunderstood player.

NHL cult player Brad Marchandia “Porin Marchand”, who is idealistic and according to him even chose his game number (63), has been seen above all as a troublemaker of the tough class and a human ball tossing here and there in the rink.

That’s what he does, of course, but not just anyone could score such a number of goals or goals like Monday night.

“There has been a lot of talk about Kostilai as an agitator and a goalscorer, but his playing is really mature for such a young player. Very rarely does his game so-called leak.”

“But I want to emphasize that the attacking skills must be at a really high level in order to be able to score such a number of goals in the toughest games of the season. Even without experience.”

Aces and SaiPa’s series continues on Wednesday in Lappeenranta and on Saturday in Pori.

SaiPa went into the match series third in the regular season as early favorites (Ässät 8th), but now the situation has leveled out.

“The pressure is now on SaiPa. At the same time, Ace has the spirit on.”

“This most recent match certainly leaves SaiPa with something to think about. That kind of passivity cannot happen. I’m sure that SaiPa will go into the next game with a different plan,” says Nättinen.