Ilves would have to beat sixth-placed SaiPa to go level on points with Lukko, and despite three wins in a row and two straight losses before tonight for their opponents, they were beaten 4-3 on the road.
SaiPa rediscovered their form in the opening period, as Santari Airola and Petrus Palmu had them 2-0 up with a little over three minutes gone, and though Benjamin Korhonen pulled a goal back, Miikka Salomaki soon added two more to put the Lappeenranta side 4-1 ahead.
But Ilves chipped away at the lead in the second period, as Lukas Jasek scored midway through the match and with just 15 seconds to go, Luke Henman cut the gap to one and gave the Lynx the momentum ahead of the final period. Yet having given themselves the chance to level, Ilves had just five shots on goal in a goalless third period, allowing SaiPa to hold on.
Jukurit failed to overtake Ilves and move to within a point of the leaders as they fell to a first loss in three, going down 3-2 at Hameenlinna, who have lifted themselves into the top 12 with back-to-back wins either side of the international break.
HPK were the more rested of the two teams and that showed in the first 10 minutes as Oliver Kopiloff and Hugo Gabrielsson put them 2-0 ahead, but Jukurit hit back in the second, when Jiro Frilander and Jesper Olofsson scored to level the scores. But Hameenlinna were able to go again - Viljami Jokirinne put them back in front before another goalless third period saw the home side close out the win.
Those defeats allowed JYP to take advantage and move into second with a fourth win in a row, and they are two points behind Lukko after they won 1-0 at KooKoo, who remain bottom as their losing streak extended to three matches.
The only goal of the game came on a powerplay in the 14th minute of period two courtesy of Valtteri Ojantakanen, while Oskari Salminen made 28 saves at the other end to ensure that one goal would be enough.
Assat held onto fifth place by scoring five times in the third period to come from behind to secure a third win in four in Lahti, beating Pelicans 5-2 to inflict a fourth loss in a row on the side sitting just two points above the bottom three. Onni Lind and Anton Ketunen had Pelicans 2-0 up after 40 minutes, but Patrik Juhola, Simon Pinard and Cameron Hillis turned the match on its head in the third, before Peter Tiivola and Johan Olofsson found the empty net.
TPS Turku were also 2-0 down in their match against Jokerit, but four unanswered goals - two each from Vili Munkki and Hannu Kuru - put them clear before the visitors added a consolation in a 4-3 win, a third in a row for seventh-placed TPS, as the Helsinki side stay six points from safety.
On the other side of the capital, IFK Helsinki bounced back from defeat in the derby with a 3-1 win over Tappara, moving above the champions into 10th place. HIFK also came from behind, as Vincent Marleau, Ottoville Leppanen and Daniel Makiaho all found the net in the final 18 minutes of the contest to make it five wins in seven for the visitors.
It's five wins in seven also for Kiekko-Espoo, who climb to eighth after a 4-1 win at KalPa, who drop back out of the playoff places. Jere Sallinen and Konsta Kotkansalo starred for KE, as they both scored one and assisted two each in the routine victory.