Ässät beat Jokerit 3:2 in the Liiga on Tuesday evening. The home side took all three points at their own rink, ending the visitors' winless start to the campaign. By then, the crowd had been treated to a close contest rather than a rout.
Ässät's recent form showed promise before this match. They had beaten Ilves Tam pere 5:1 on the 4th of September, though results had been mixed since. Jokerit, meanwhile, had lost their only previous game 7:2 away at Lukko. To be fair, the away side had also shown they could score, beating Tappara 4:3 in August.
The final score settled the question of who would take the early advantage. Ässät now sit on one point from two games, while Jokerit remain on none after a single outing. The table tells a simple story for now — neither side has built any real momentum yet.
What mattered most was the character of the game itself. Ässät did not simply coast to victory; they had to work for every goal against a team that had not given up in their opening defeat. And here's the thing about hockey — a three-goal margin looks comfortable until you remember Jokerit scored two themselves.
The prediction market had been confident in the home side, offering 93 per cent for an Ässät win. That assessment proved correct, though it said little about how tight the result would be. Jokerit will look to bounce back in their next fixture, while Ässät will want to build on this first win of the season.