Starting the evening in 10th place on 10 points, SaiPa were already guaranteed a top 16 place, joining compatriots Tappara and KooKoo who secured their knockout berths the previous evening, which was perhaps as well, given Plzen arrived top of the table with a maximum 15 points from five matches.
Despite the Czech side being safely through themselves, they refused to let up and ran out 6-3 winners in Lappeenranta.
Plzen didn't even need a full compliment of players to break the deadlock, as they were shorthanded when Ivo Sedlacek struck in the 14th minute. Otto Hokkanen levelled early in the second for SaiPa, only for Sedlacek to add his second two minutes later, this time when Plzen had an extra man.
Janne Naukkarinen struck the home side's second equaliser, but after Plzen again responded quickly to retake the lead through Jakub Lev, SaiPa were unable to fight back in period three, as Richard Zemlicka and Jan Fodor pulled the visitors clear with two goals in the first six minutes.
Petr Fridrich pulled one back with under two-and-a-half minutes to go, but comeback hopes were already over by the time Mikko Petman found the empty net in the final seconds.
