Following a best ever finish of second in the regular season, KooKoo have reached the finals for the first time. They won 3-2 in overtime away at SaiPa to take their place in the trophy showdown and condemn last year's runner-up to the third-place playoff.
SaiPa had come from two games down to level the series after four, but a 4-0 win at home had swung momentum back in KooKoo's favour ahead of game six in Lappeenranta.
Not that one would know it, as the home side took the lead dead on five minutes when Eero Klintrup's pass across was tucked home by Niklas Appelgren. But the visitors ensured the first period ended level, when the in-form Miska Siikonen and Ville Meskanen combined for the latter to equalise.
Meskanen then continued that good form 15 minutes into the second period, as his assist allowed Veeti Miettinen to put KooKoo ahead for the first time, but after Siikonen was called for tripping two minutes later, SaiPa capitalised through Maxime Fortier's powerplay goal following great work from Emil Kuusla.
A powerplay apiece in the third period was not enough for either side to settle it in 60 minutes, but five minutes into overtime, KooKoo did just that. Joseph Berger's effort was saved, and of the three players queuing up for the rebound, it was Oskari Luoto who got the goal that cements him in KooKoo history.
Joining the final newbies are the side that have lifted the trophy more times than anyone else - Tappara came from 2-0 down in their series with city rivals Ilves, winning four matches in a row to seal a 4-2 series win of their own, edging game six 4-3.
Fittingly, the Battle Axe also had to come behind over the course of 60 minutes. After the first period, a game-seven decider seemed very likely as Ilves went 3-0 up.
Lukas Jasek put them ahead inside two minutes when his shot flew through a crowded goal area, then the lead was doubled on five minutes when Teemu Engberg cut in from the right and fired home, before John Nyberg found Luke Henman to add the third with under 12 minutes played.
But as much as the first period was Ilves', the second belonged to Tappara - a too many men on the ice call against the Lynx three minutes in proved the catalyst for the comeback, as Kristian Tanus netted the powerplay goal.
And the designated visitors were back within one after eight minutes when Joni Tuulola's blocked shot was tapped in by an alert Kasper Simontaival. Then, the Ilves lead was wiped out before the midpoint, when Jyrki Jokipakka had time in the centre to place his shot past Dominik Pavlat.
Four minutes into period three, the turnaround was complete when Daniel Brickley caught Joachim Blichfeld's lay off with the sweetest of one-timers that sailed into the net, and Tappara held on to reach another final, giving themselves to win the Liiga title for the fourth time in five years.
Defeat means Ilves must be content with a one-off match for bronze against SaiPa on 30th April. Then, the best-of-seven series between the last two standing begins with game one in Tampere on 2nd May.
