Roster Rundown
Kalpa Hockey's key players this season have been lighting it up on the ice. Ville Ruotsalainen is the engine driving their blue line, with 25 assists this season, he’s known for his slick passng and defensive smarts. Juuso Maenpaa has been a standout forward, burying 18 goals so far, making him a constant threat around the net. They've also got Kasper Simontaival, whose speed and agility have netted him 15 goals—he's been a real spark plug on offense. Not to be overlooked, Jaakko Rissanen has contributed 20 assists, acting as a linchpin in their playmaking. Notably absent from this matchup are Jere Karjalainen and Stefanos Lekkas, both crucial players who’ve been sidelined due to injuries.
On the
Assat Pori side, Roope Talaja has emerged as a key scorer with 17 goals this season, often finding soft spots in opposing defenses. Feetu Knihti has proven to be a dynamic playmaker, notching 22 assists—he’s the kind of guy who can thread the needle with his passng. In net, Niklas Rubin has been a rock, sporting a .920 save percentage, keeping his team in many tight games. Olli Palola adds depth with his consistent two-way play, contributing 12 goals. Unfortunately, they’ll be missing Tuomas Salmela and Jan-Mikael Jarvinen, both out with injuries.
Head-to-Head
Recent meetings have seen
Kalpa Hockey just edge out
Assat Pori. Their last three encounters were closely contested, with Kalpa winning 2-1 and 4-1 in their past two matches, with
Assat Pori struggling to find the net consistently. Historically, Kalpa has a slight edge with 31 wins over Assat’s 28 in their 60 matchups, suggesting a rivalry that’s fiercely competitive.
Recent Form
Kalpa Hockey’s recent form has been impressive, with a 4-1 win over
Assat Pori and a thrilling 6-3 victory against Ilves Tampere. They've been on a tear, taking three wins out of their last five games, including a 1-3 win over
Assat Pori. Their only blemish was a narrow 1-2 loss to Assat.
As for
Assat Pori, they’ve been on the losing end against Kalpa in their last four meetings, but managed a solid 5-1 triumph over HPK Hameenlinna, showing they can dominate when clicking. Still, recent struggles against Kalpa suggest they’ll need to tweak their strategy to reverse fortunes.
Wrap-Up
Kalpa's been riding high, showcasing strong offensive numbers and a balanced attack led by players like Maenpaa and Simontaival. Their ability to break down defenses has been key. Meanwhile, Assat’s finding it tough cracking Kalpa’s defense, despite having potent weapons like Talaja. The absence of key players on both sides could tilt the ice, but Kalpa’s recent streak might give them confidence heading into this clash. A close one, though, given both teams can light things up on their day.
Summary
Looking at the numbers,
Kalpa Hockey seems to hold the upper hand, with their recent head-to-head success and stable form.
Assat Pori will need their defense, led by Rubin, to stand tall if they’re to overcome Kalpa’s offensive prowess. Unless Assat finds a way to break Kalpa's recent hold over them, it could be another challenging night. With Kalpa's offense in full swing and Assat's recent hiccups, it looks like Kalpa may just edge it, but in hockey, you never know till the final buzzer sounds.
Match Odds Kalpa Hockey – Assat Pori
Leon's odds are 41 on Kalpa Hockey triumphing at own stadium.
At this moment our odds are equal to 1.19 on Assat Pori visiting team's winning.
Draw odds are 5.
