Jokerit halts Lokomotiv, moves to second round

After losing in in the first round last year to Dynamo Moscow, Jokerit climbs up to the Western Conference semifinals after defeating Lokomotiv 4-2 in the Gagarin Cup playoffs' first round.

It wasn't unexpected, but it doesn't make it less enjoyable for Lauri Marjamaki's team to halt Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and move up to the second round after a one-year hiatus. In the 2018 Gagarin Cup playoffs, the Finn side got rid of HC Sochi 4-1, then lost 4-2 to CSKA in the Western Conference semifinals. Lokomotiv gave Jokerit a good run for their money, but Mariamaki's moves proved themselves correct, and the Finn side can now celebrate a well-deserved win.

The series' history

Jokerit entered into playoffs as the third seed of the Western Conference, having amassed 84 points in the regular season – 11 more than Lokomotiv. The Finnish side had a powerful start of the series, outscoring the opposition 11-1 in the first two games at home. Antti Niemi had a shutout in the first game, while Brian O'Neill and Antti Pihlstrom posted two points each in the second showdown. The series moved to Yaroslavl on Mar. 5, but the home crowd wasn't delighted by a win as the Railwaymen allowed a fast goalie to Jokerit who was then free to play its game for the remainder of the match. Henrik Haapala and Nicklas Jensen scored two points for the Jokers, who also enjoyed a 35-save shutout from Janis Kalnins for a hard-fought, 3-0 victory. However, finally, in Game-4, Lokomotiv reacted. Jokerit got the early lead with Marko Anttila's second tally of the series, but the Railwaymen scored three unanswered goals, and Jokerit couldn't get back on track. The series moved back to Helsinki, and Lokomotiv, with their back against the wall, had another strong-will win despite being down 2-1 after the first horn. Grigory Denisenko's first career goal in the postseason led Lokomotiv to a final 4-2 score at the Hartwall Arena. Two days later, however, Jokerit pushed and closed the accounts, settling things down with a solid 5-1 away win in Yaroslavl.

Key moments

In the first game, emotions run high for Antti Niemi, who had a 17-save shutout at his debut in the KHL's playoffs. Lokomotiv wasn't ready for the Finnish storm as Mikko Lehtonen and Nicklas Jensen had three points each in Jokerit's triumph.

In the second encounter, goaltending was solid again for Jokerit, as Janis Kalnins replaced Niemi. Still, the real game-breaker was the first period, when the Finns scored three unanswered goals that KOed Lokomotiv.

In game-three, Lokomotiv pushed the gas and produced more shots on goals than in the first two matches combined. However, Kalnins locked down the gate, stopping 35 shots. Four Jokerit players had a multi-point game, including D-man Viktor Loov, who scored the game-winning goal only 57 seconds into the first period.

Game-four saw Lokomotiv's renaissance. The Railwaymen once again couldn't cope with Jokerit's fast start, but then Yaroslavl came out strong in the second and third periods, finding the game-winner with Stephane Da Costa with less than five minutes to the last buzzer. Ilya Konovalov stopped 37 shots for Lokomotiv.

In game-five, Lokomotiv played another solid game, with Grigory Denisenko tieing things up in the third period, opening the doors for the second straight game-winning goal by Stephane Da Costa. The Frenchman was the best for Lokomotiv in the ill-fated series against Jokerit.

In the sixth game, Jokerit closed the accounts with a solid 5-1 win in Yaroslavl. Da Costa's third goal wasn't enough for Lokomotiv, who had disappointing -3 performances by Jakub Nakladal and Vladimir Tkachyov. On the other front, Tommi Kivisto and Oliver Lauridsen enjoyed a +4 night, while Veli-Matti Savinainen scored the game-winning and series-clinching goal in the first period. Kalnins provided once again incredible goaltending for the Finn side, stopping 23 shots out of 24.

Heroes

Stephane Da Costa (Lokomotiv)

The last Railwayman to surrender, Da Costa played an excellent series, and he scored both the game-winners for Lokomotiv. The Frenchman posted 5 (3+2) points in six games, including two straight game-winning goals and a three-game scoring streak. Da Costa was excellent this time around, after scoring only once last year with Avtomobilist. His contract runs out this summer – Lokomotiv should make its best effort to renew his ties with their playoffs top scorer.

Nicklas Jensen (Jokerit)

The Dane is currently tied for second place in scoring with Dynamo's Vadim Shipachyov and Avangard's Sergei Shumakov. Against Lokomotiv, Jensen scored 7 (3+4) points, leading Jokerit not only in points, but also in passes percentage, shots on goal, and even-strength goals. Jensen will be a crucial player for the Jokers for the remainders of their playoff run.

Antti Pihlstrom (Jokerit)

The veteran forward had a second youth in the series against Lokomotiv. The 35-years-old Finnish player needed only six playoffs games to score as many goals he did in the regular season – three. In particular, Pihlstrom, who also lined up for CSKA and Salavat Yulaev in the KHL, had a two-point performance in game-two, and two consecutive tallies in the closing games of the series.

They said...

"We wanted to start strong and had a good advantage after the first period. We need to play this way in Yaroslavl as well. We're very happy with Alex Grant and Janis Kalnins' play; they are the best reinforcement for our team. We have two goalies who already achieved victories in this year's playoffs." (Lauri Mariamaki after game 2)

"This was a great game, where the fans saw it all: a lot of battles, exciting goals, and fantastic saves. The game was worth the price of the ticket. Now we need to do our best to give our fans a chance to see it again in Yaroslavl." (Mike Pelino after game 4)

"We played better, we did more with the puck and tried to retain the possession. All this gave us more chances, we blocked a lot of shots and played very well. We had nothing to lose and played without any pressure – we felt our freedom and played an excellent game. We need to play even better in game five." (Stephane Da Costa after game 4).

"We played very well on defense; it was a key aspect in the first three games, but then we somewhat stopped playing that way. Today we focused on our game, and the result arrived. Marko Anttila and I don't play together since a long time ago, but we already gathered some chemistry at the end of the regular season. I hope that our fans will be pleased with the series against SKA and that they will come to see us in both Helsinki and St. Petersburg." (Antti Pihlstrom, Jokerit forward).

Jokerit will face SKA in the Western Conference semifinals. Game one plays on Mar. 17 in St. Petersburg.