Roope Taponen's streak of clean sheets extended on Friday.
HIFK beat JYP 0–3 away from home in the SM league on Friday and has now won six of its previous eight games. JYP's losing streak increased to eight matches.
He served as HIFK's number one hero in the second consecutive match Roope Taponen. The 22-year-old goalkeeper played his fourth clean sheet of the season and has now kept a clean sheet in two consecutive matches.
The highlight of Taponen's match was seen in the first set. JYP's lead seemed certain when the puck bounced off Taponen's save to Robert Rooba in front of an empty net. However, Taponen prevented the opening goal of the match with his incredible throw-in save.
Like on Wednesday in Pori, HIFK was quiet at the beginning of the match against JYP. The number of shots on goal in the first period was 11–3 in favor of the home team.
However, the visitors' three attempts were enough for the goal, because at the end of the set Julius Nättinen directed Luke Martin inside the line shot.
The goal grew Jori Lehterän a dizzying streak of points. Lehterä passed the goal and thus earned the power point for HIFK's tenth consecutive goal. The arbor's pipe broke when he wasn't around Joonas Raskin striking in the 2–0 goal of HIFK's second set.
The inefficiency that has plagued HIFK from time to time this season was further relieved just a couple of minutes after Raski's goal, when Kristian Vesalainen hit between the posts.
The goal was Vesalainen's first since the beginning of November. Vesalainen, who wore a gold helmet from the beginning of the season, aired his goal freely, and his teammates congratulated the forward with a big smile.
In the third period, HIFK fell into the ice, and JYP was able to create a lot of pressure on the away end. However, Taponen and HIFK's defense held out, and the goal remained clean.
At a profit HIFK increased their score in the SM league to 68 points. The ranking is still third, and the gap with the Jukurei behind them now increased to four points.
JYP–HIFK 0–3
ON THE RISE: In front of Roope Taponen, HIFK's defensive game also deserves an honorable mention as the guarantor of a clean streak of 120 minutes. Julius Nättinen is on a three-match scoring streak, during which he has scored four times. HIFK's attack finally found other solvers than Jori Lehterä, when Joonas Rask and Kristian Vesalainen scored.
ON THE INVOICE: In two consecutive matches, HIFK has played a weak opening set against two teams that are in a bad mood. Against JYP, the game also got out of hand in the third period in the lead position, but a strong game of their own end guaranteed a safe victory.
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