JYP needed just one goal to beat KooKoo the previous evening and go two points behind Lukko, and with the Rauma side not in action, another win against a side at the wrong end of the table would see them reach the summit.
But a Markus Nutivaara strike in the eighth minute was an early setback, though Pelicans led for just over a minute thanks to a Sami Vatanen equaliser. JYP then pushed clear in the second period through Julius Korjus and Daniel Torgersson, but a late strike from Gabriel Fortier and a penalty miss from Valtteri Ojantakanen meant the Lahti side were still in the game with 20 minutes to play.
And with just over six minutes left, Oskars Batna got them back on level terms. However, it didn't take long for JYP to go 4-3 up, as Ojantakanen made up for his earlier miss, though that wasn't confirmed as the winner until after a second for Nutivaara was disallowed following a video review. JYP have now won five in a row, while Pelicans have lost the same number in succession.
Jukurit bounced back from defeat to Hameenlinna with a thumping 6-2 victory over KooKoo, who remain on just 10 points after losing their last four. Alex Lintuniemi had the hosts in front after one period, before Jukurit ran riot in the second as Lintuniemi scored his second amid Jesper Olofsson, Connor Ford and Jiro Frilander getting on the scoresheet.
Jeremi Tammela got in on the act in the final period, but with four minutes left the strugglers avoided a shutout when Robert Rooba and Ture Linden scored within two minues of each other late on.
Assat are back among the top four after a fourth win in their last five as they won 3-0 at home to Jokerit, who coincidentally have won one of their last five. Cameron Hillis, Simon Pinard and Arttu Alasiurua scored a goal in each period for the Pori side, who kept a clean sheet thanks to 19 saves from Roope Taponen.
Tappara stay in the playoff places but their dreadful form continued as they fell to a fourth defeat on the bounce with a 5-1 loss at Karpat, who climb to eighth with a first win in three. Aleksi Matinmikko scored two and assisted one for the hosts, while Matyas Kantner scored the final goal to finish on two points.
Pelicans dropped into the bottom three after Vaasan Sport beat Hameenlinna 3-2, climbing out of the bottom three with a second win in a row as HPK lost for the first time in three but stay 12th. Sport trailed with 15 minutes left but Viljami Nieminen levelled on a powerplay before Oula Palve struck in the final two minutes to win it for the home side.