The table: where do the teams stand?

Tahko are one of the teams who could finish in the top 8, but their final position hangs in the balance

There are only a handful of games left in the season and for some, time is running out to achieve their goals. In this post I look at the table and which teams are on track to reach the spot in the table that they are hoping for. The table below shows the teams games that they have played, how many games they have remaining, their average points per game and the maximum and minimum possible points per game scores they can achieve.

Top 4

For some time the top 4 teams have set themselves apart from the others; Manse, KPL, Sotkamo and Vimpeli have in fact already secured a top 4 finish and therefore home field advantage in the postseason. Only 3 of them however will get a chance to pick their first round opponents. There is one obvious team that the top 4 teams will want to avoid - Joensuu. JoMa have caused problems for the top 4 this season, but they cannot finish higher than 5th.

Of the games that the teams have left, Vimpeli have games against both Manse and KPL, so these results will be watched with great interest. Sotkamo on the other hand have JoMa on the horizon, but games against SiiPe and Hamina promise a good points yield.

The bottom 2

At the other end of the table, there are a few teams who still face automatic relegation at the end of the season. The most likely team to be in the bottom 2 is Hamina, who would. Have to take maximum points from their remaining games and rely on the total collapse of either Kankaanpää or Koskenkorva - such a scenario seems virtually impossible. The remaining spot in the bottom 2 is still a mystery; the obvious choice is SiiPe, who would also have to depend on getting close to maximum points from their remaining games and the demise of KaMa or KoU. But as unlikely as this may seem, it is still more likely than Hamina turning their season around - they just need a little of the Manttu Magic to beat Vimpeli and Sotkamo at home.

The only other teams who mathematically could finish in the bottom 2 are Koskenkorva and Kankaanpää. Both teams have opportunities for points coming up, with their final game of the season against each other. The key games to watch out for in this group are Hamina v KaMa (20.08.2021) and Kempele v SiiPe (24.08.2021). 

5th to 8th place

This category perhaps should read “JoMa and 3 other teams” beaus Joensuu are virtually guaranteed a spot in he top 8 even if they lose all their remaining games spectacularly. The question is, who will join them? In fact this has been the real question throughout the season. Many storylines and themes have come and gone, but the question that has been at the forefront of people’s minds remains the same - who will make the playoffs?

This is perhaps the toughest group to call, but there are teams who are either clear favourites (like IPV) or have very slim hopes (like Kitee). The focus is on Tahko v Seinäjoki (18.08.2021) which could be a deciding match as to who makes the playoffs and who does not. PattU perhaps has the largest margin of possible outcomes, but they would have to score points against KPL and Sotkamo to cement their place in the top 8. The game on 21.08.2021 against IPV could come too late for PattU, or it could be a crucial matchup.