Ice hockey | HIFK's Regular Series ended in disappointment – “We didn't reach the goal”

Tension remained almost until the end.

At the last break of the regular season of the SM League, not a single playoff pair had been decided yet. Helsinki IFK even sought a home advantage, but its match against KalPa turned into a defeat with 0–3 goals.

HIFK, which entered the season as one of the championship favorites, finished sixth in the regular season.

The home game against KalPa was a pancake as a general practice for the playoffs.

“It wasn't a very good game from us. We didn't really get the game started at any point”, the HIFK attacker Iiro Pakarinen admitted and praised the resistance from Kuopio.

“They were more ready and better.”

KalPa's Czech aid, which has reached a frenzy Matyas Kantner shot the visitors to the lead with a superior power in 52:59. The goal was Kantner's 23rd of the season.

HIFK took the goalkeeper off more than two minutes before the end, as they needed a victory in regular time in pursuit of home advantage in the playoffs. KalPa inoculated by hitting twice on an empty knuckle.

KalPa's goalkeeper Stefanos Lekkas stretched to a few saves at the end. 17 saves were enough for him to win a clean sheet.

Konkar striker Pakarinen directly said that sixth place is a disappointment as a result of the regular season.

“At the beginning of the season, certain goals were set, and of course we wanted to win the regular season. This is how it went. It's pointless to be sad about it. Now we're sixth and we're starting the away playoffs,” he summed up.

“Didn't reach the goal in the regular season.”

However, Pakarinen is optimistic about the team's appearance.

“The last couple of months we've played more good games than bad games.”

HIFK will face Lahti Pelicans in the quarterfinals, who finished third in the regular season.

“There have been tough games against them this season. It will definitely be a fast-paced and physical series”, Pakarinen, known as a strong goal-scoring player, pouted.

Helsinki the news was heard in the ice hall on Tuesday evening, when HIFK told Pakarinen about a three-year extension contract.

The 32-year-old from Suonenjoki has represented HIFK in the seasons 2012–2014 and for the second time from spring 2022. At that time, he moved from the Jokers to IFK, when the Jokers withdrew from the KHL because of the war.

“In the end, this was a relatively easy decision,” Pakarinen said about signing the extension.

He said that his family had a good time in Helsinki. Pakarinen has previously played in North America, Russia and Kazakhstan in his career.

“It's a pretty great thing that you can continue with this for so long, three years. I was excited about it,” he said.

What has made you enjoy yourself so much at HIFK?

“Maybe it's the culture that has been created here. This club, the fans and the community that has always been here.”

of HIFK the statistical specialty in the regular season was that the Swedish credit pack Johan Motin was the team's plus/minus leader with a +23, but he didn't score a single goal in 56 games.

Motini's balance in the regular season was 0+17 power points.