Jukurit had won seven in a row before tonight, but keeping that run going was always going to be a challenge against Ilves, and so it proved, as the home side made it six wins in a row with a 3-2 win that puts them top on goal difference.
Lukas Jasek scored late in the opening period to give Ilves the lead, but Jukurit looked to be staying put at the top after Aaro Chrons and Connor Ford put them 2-1 up midway through the match, but the Tampere side had other ideas, as Austin Strand levelled early in the third before Luke Henman grabbed his second point of the match by scoring on a powerplay with 10 minutes left to win it for Ilves.
Juuso Hahl's first match in charge of Jokerit following the dismissal of Tomek Valtonen resulted in an impressive 3-0 victory over Hameenlinna, just a second win in nine this season for the Helsinki side, who are now just a point behind HPK in 14th, who were unable to build on an overtime win last time out.
Following a goalless first period, Matt Caito settled the home side's nerves in the final five minutes of period two, before Markus Hannikainen grabbed the game by the horns with two goals in just over a minute for Jokerit, for whom Tomi Karhunen made 20 saves to record his second shutout this season.