Since SaiPa won the opening match of the series, KalPa had been dominant, recording 5-2, 8-1 and 2-0 victories to put them one win away from the Kanada-malja.
That dominance looked to be continuing back at Olvi Areena within six minutes, when Aleksi Klemetti played the puck from the left wing to in front of the net where Patrick Curry found the net.
But the home side's hopes of strolling to the title in front of their home fans were dashed four minutes later, when SaiPa won a faceoff in KalPa territory and worked the puck back to Saku Salminen.
His long-range effort looked to have been dealt with by Stefanos Lekkas, but the puck squeezed past him and into the net. That was SaiPa's first goal since Salminen's effort in period two of game three.
The visitors didn't have to wait as long for their next strike, which arrived with 15 minutes played in the second period - Miska Siikonen drove through the heart of the KalPa defence, drew the goaltender and tapped the puck back to Roni Karvinen, who applied the simple finish.
Just 28 seconds of play later, it was 3-1. Mikko Petman picked the puck up at centre ice, burst into the attacking zone and powered the puck past Lekkas and in off the post.
But KalPa weren't done and were back in the match early in the third period when a speculative effort from Andreas Okany from wide out on the left decieved Kari Piiroinen and found the net.
However, hopes of a comeback were snuffed out midway through the third - Samuli Niinisaari's initial shot was saved by Lekkas, but the rebound fell kindly to Janne Naukkarinen, who made it 4-2.
KalPa will have their second chance to wrap up the title tonight in game six, but in Lappeenranta.
