Liiga delivers mind-blowing drama again – 3 things you need to know from the first week of the playoffs

Here we go again. It's the best time of spring as the Finnish SM-liiga drops the gloves and gives us its absolute best. The first playoff round has only just begun, but the intensity is already such that just this weekend alone, we've seen everything we love about this sport. Overtime, upsets, and those heroes no one had heard of just last week.

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

There was no celebration in Kuopio on Saturday night. KalPa took the opening win with a clear score, and many probably thought the team from Kuopio would charge like a hot knife through butter towards the next round. But that would have been too easy. After their Friday loss, HIFK marched into the Kuopio ice hall and showed their true character. A 4–1 away victory, with Tony Sund and Petteri Lindbohm scoring their first-ever playoff goals. And that's not all: Vincent Marleau netted two, the last one into an empty net to seal the night.

This series is now in that perfect spot where both teams have shown what they're made of. HIFK's win was no stroke of luck, but cold, hard work. And with three wins needed to advance, we're just taking off.

Kiekko-Espoo and Ässät – the eternal story of overtime

If anyone loves a nail-biter, they're following the battle between Kiekko-Espoo and Ässät. There was overtime on Friday, and again on Saturday. Iikka Kangasniemi put the Espoo side ahead on the power play, but then Sakari Kostilainen – in his very first playoff game, mind you – answered with his own power-play goal to force extra time. Now that's pure drama. These two have clearly locked onto each other, and neither is willing to give an inch without a fight.

I'll say it straight: we might see a few more overtimes in this series before it's all over.

HPK's shutout and other hot storylines

There were celebrations in Hämeenlinna on Saturday as HPK beat Lukko with a clean 2–0. Sami Päivärinta's goal off his skate after a video review? Yes indeed. That's old-school grit right there. Cameron Wright then finished into an empty net with two seconds left on the clock. Lukko now really needs to figure out how to break down this wall.

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

So here's a quick summary of the most important things from the weekend:

• Series are already packed with drama: HIFK–KalPa tied 1–1, Kiekko-Espoo–Ässät locked in an overtime loop, and HPK–Lukko all square.
• New heroes emerge: Lindbohm, Sund, Mononen, and Kostilainen – all scored their first-ever playoff goals. This is the rise of the young generation.
• Overtime just won't stop: Kiekko-Espoo and Ässät have shown that neither will give up until the other is out cold.

This is Finnish hockey spring. No fancy talk, just pure action. And looking at these opening rounds, you can only say one thing: this is going to be a long, hard-fought spring. Grab some hot cocoa and keep the remote close – this is only the beginning.