SaiPa Lappeenranta took control early and never let go, beating Tappara Tampere 4-2 in regulation. Two goals in the opening eight minutes set the tone, and SaiPa’s middle-frame push put the game out of reach.
Samuli Niinisaari opened the scoring at 7:00, and Patrik Siikanen doubled it just over a minute later. Tappara answered through Juuso Nykanen at 22:00, but Petr Fridrich restored the two-goal cushion at 25:00 before Santeri Airola made it 4-1 at 34:00. Benjamin Rautiainen trimmed the lead for Tappara at 45:00, yet SaiPa closed it out cleanly.
Santeri Airola stood out with a goal and an assist, factoring directly in two of SaiPa’s four goals. The early 2-0 burst proved decisive, giving SaiPa the cushion they needed to manage the rest of the game.