KooKoo had tasted Champions Hockey League victory since their most recent domestic loss, and it was either that, or the first league game under new coach Kai Suikkala that seemed to be the kick-start they needed to end their run of 10 defeats as they triumphed 4-1 at home to Jukurit, who stay second despite losing three of their last four.
Vilmos Gallo's sixth-minute opener was cancelled out five minutes later by Jesper Olofsson on a powerplay, but when Arttu Pelli put KooKoo back in front early in the second, he made sure the Kouvola side would not give up the lead this time, as he notched his second just past the midpoint of the match. KooKoo survived a pair of powerplays in the final period before Veeti Miettinen found the empty net in the last minute to cap off the win that takes KooKoo to four points, nine shy of safety.
Despite successive losses, Jukurit are still a point behind leaders Ilves who have now lost back-to-back games as well, falling 5-1 at home to Lukko, who bounced back from defeat to Assat last time to make it six wins in their last seven and reach sixth place in the standings.
Two from Aleksi Saarela and another from Nuutti Viitasalo put Lukko three ahead before Luke Henman got Ilves on the board eight minutes into the second, but comeback hopes for the Lynx were wiped out by strikes from Felix Robert and Anton Olsson in the third period.
Assat in third failed to take advantage of the sides around them slipping up, but they at least took one point by losing 3-2 to Hameenlinna after penalties - a third win in a row for HPK as they sit 12th after halting the Pori side's two-game winning run.
Rami Maatta had the Aces ahead in the first minute, but two goals in a little over two minutes early in period two from Eerik Wallenius and Roope Vesterinen turned the match around. Johan Olofsson levelled for Assat in the third but after no more goals in normal time or overtime and 13 missed penalties, Viljami Jokirinne finally found the net in the shootout to give Hameenlinna the win.
And to complete the winless evening for the top four, JYP were thrashed 6-1 at Kiekko-Espoo, a result that consigns JYP to a third defeat in four matches, while KE are seventh having ended their three-game winless run.
Arttu Tuomaala scored either side of the first break to put the hosts 3-1 up after Trenton Bourque responded to Jere Vaisanen's opener, before Lukas Svejkovsky and Mathias From pulled Kiekko further clear. Bourque was dismissed for kneeing late on, allowing Linus Oberg to add the sixth on the powerplay.
In the meeting of the most-recent champions, Tappara made it three wins in a row by beating KalPa 3-2 on the road, as Aapeli Rasanen and Jesper Mattila scored in the final three minutes to snatch victory to take the Battle Axe ninth and hand 13th-placed KalPa a third loss in four.
There was also a 3-2 away win for Karpat, albeit in overtime, as Jiri Tichacek's goal in the third minute of the extra period saw them get the better of Pelicans. A second OT win in a row takes the Oulu men fifth, while a first loss in three sees Pelicans slip to 10th place.
A seventh match of the evening was scheduled to take place, but Vaasan Sport's trip to TPS Turku had to be postponed after issues with the ice surface at Gatorade Center.