Tappara Tampere welcomed Red Bull Munich for their second duel of the Group Stage segment of the 2022/23 season. The first time these teams met we saw Tappara take a 4-3 win in a shootout, nevertheless, both teams from Group C have already secured their spot in the Playoffs.

The opening period came and went without much action, with both teams reacquainting themselves with the game and each other after spending a week apart. Tappara and Munich showed similar levels of engagement, with Tappara slightly leading on shots, 11-8, yet neither team was able to get something passed the net before the end of the first period.

It wasn’t until the 23:07 minute mark that Veli-Matti Savinainen managed to shove the puck into the left corner of the net, giving Tappara the 1-0 lead. Capitalising on the momentum, Ben Thomas roofed a shot into the net after a stunning sequence from Jori Lehterä and Waltteri Merelä.

With Munich feeling the heat, Ryan McKiernan grabbed the game’s first penalty for boarding, as did Tappara’s Otto Rauhala for roughing. Capitalising on the five-on-three advantage, Tappara widened the gap after Veli-Matti Savinainen snatched his second goal, closing the middle frame with a solid 3-0 lead for the Finns.

The Finns were in cruise control by the final period, adding a fourth goal by Casimir Jürgens and Patrik Virta with the assist at 49:53, giving Tappara a stellar 4-0 win for their final Group Stage match!