UEFA Champions League qualifiers proved to be no distraction for KuPS' domestic duties, as they won for the fourth league game in a row, while SJK have now suffered successive losses without scoring.
Though SJK had their share of the early chances, the match was all but over with just over half an hour played - Akseli Puukko's low cross was turned in by Jaime Moreno midway through the first half, before an intricate one-two between Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba and Tommi Jyry sent the former through to steer home a second.
The away side struck the upright and had two efforts cleared off the line in a second half they dominated, but they had done more than enough to extend their unbeaten run to 10 league matches. The Seinajoki side remain in 10th place, with goal difference making a fall to 11th unlikely this weekend.
Teemu Pukki stepped up for HJK to ensure their two-game losing run ended by taking all three points at home to VPS, who remain in third despite their six-game unbeaten streak in the Veikkausliiga being ended.
Santeri Haarala put the hosts in front in first-half stoppage time, finishing at the second time of asking following Liam Moller's setup, but sloppy play from HJK mere seconds into the second half allowed Simon Lindholm to intercept a pass and finish off the resulting move to equalise.
But with 17 minutes left, a poor challenge from Oluwaseyi Ogunniyi on Toivo Mero allowed Pukki to slot home his first goal in four games from the penalty spot and win it for HJK, who stay fifth in the table.
Sixth-placed Gnistan stayed level on points with their Helsinki neighbours and moved within a point of fourth-placed AC Oulu thanks to an away victory, their second win in a row and a third loss in four for the hosts, who have picked up one point from those outings.
Things could have been very different had Oulu taken any of their chances in the first quarter of the match, but failure to do so allowed Gnistan to break the deadlock 31 minutes in, as Joakim Latonen headed in an Edmund Arko-Mensah cross.
Matters worsened for the home side early in the second half when Kalifa Jatta was shown a second yellow card, and Gnistan made their man advantage count with a little under 20 minutes to play, as Saku Ylatupa played Adeleke Akinyemi through to score his fourth goal in as many games.