Ässät squeezes by Sport to stay in SM Liiga

It took seven games to finally decide which of the two teams would earn the right to play in the SM Liiga next season but in the end, Ässät Pori prevailed over Sport Vaasa. Erik Rasmussen and Derek Damon had two of the goals in the 3-0 win. It was the most closely contested SM Liiga qualification series since it was reinstated a couple of years ago. Rasmussen, the former NHL first round draft pick, had scored only one goal in 31 regular season games.