Liiga Delivers Edge-of-Your-Seat Drama Again – Three Things You Need to Know from the First Week of the Playoffs

And we're off. The best time of spring is here, as the Finnish Liiga drops the gloves and gives it everything it's got. The first round of the playoffs has only just begun, but the intensity is already such that over the course of this weekend alone, we've seen everything we love about this sport. Overtime, upsets, and those heroes no one had heard of last week.

HIFK's strike in Kuopio: "Now the series really begins"

There was certainly no celebration in Kuopio on Saturday night. KalPa took the opening win with a convincing scoreline, and many must have thought the men from Kuopio would cruise to the next round. But that would have been far too easy. After their Friday defeat, HIFK marched into the Kuopio Ice Hall and showed their true character. A 4–1 away win, with Tony Sund and Petteri Lindbohm both scoring their first-ever playoff goals in the process. And that wasn't all: Vincent Marleau bagged two, the last of which sealed the night with an empty-netter.

This series is now in a brilliant place, with both teams having shown what they're capable of. HIFK's win was no fluke, but a clinical piece of work. And with three wins needed to advance, we're only just taking off.

Kiekko-Espoo and Ässät – an endless story of overtime

If you love a bit of suffering, you'll be following the battle between Kiekko-Espoo and Ässät. There was overtime on Friday, and they went at it again on Saturday. Iikka Kangasniemi put the Espoo side ahead on the power play, but then Sakari Kostilainen – in his first-ever playoff game, mind you – replied with his own power-play goal to force extra time. That, right there, is drama of the highest order. These two have clearly locked horns, and neither is willing to give an inch without a fight.

Let me put it bluntly: we might see several more overtime periods in this series before it's all said and done.

HPK's shutout and other hotly contested matchups

There was celebration in Hämeenlinna on Saturday as HPK beat Lukko in style, 2–0. Sami Päivärinta's goal off his skate after a video review? You bet. That's old-school grit for you. Cameron Wright then finished into an empty net with two seconds to go. Lukko are now going to have to really think about how to break this defence down.

And as for other leagues – well, the Champions League, the EFL Cup and the Europa League can wait. All eyes are on domestic rinks right now, because the Finnish Liiga playoffs are the best entertainment this country has to offer.

So, here's a summary of the key takeaways from this weekend:

• Drama in all series: HIFK–KalPa tied 1–1, Kiekko-Espoo–Ässät locked in an overtime battle, and HPK–Lukko all square.
• New heroes emerge: Lindbohm, Sund, Mononen and Kostilainen – all scored in their first-ever playoff game. The next generation is making its mark.
• The overtimes keep coming: Kiekko-Espoo and Ässät have shown that neither will give up until the other is out cold.

That's Finnish hockey spring for you. No frills, just straight-up action. And looking at these opening rounds, one thing's for sure: this is shaping up to be a long and bloody spring. Grab a hot chocolate and keep the remote handy – this is only just getting started.