The SDHL's opening round is almost complete as Frölunda and Luleå were the first to advance to the league's semi-finals, leaving only two spots for the next round available.

Skellefteå’s Early Lead Gives Team Hope, Luleå Responds Mercilessly

Skellefteå 3 - Luleå 4 (Luleå wins series 3-0)

Skellefteå has been eliminated from the SDHL playoffs, and fans of good hockey will be forgiven for feeling a little bit sad.  This team, playing their first season in the league after winning promotion last Spring, has done itself proud.  They have battled, game in and game out, for months.  They have consistently exceeded expectations and pushed back against the league’s traditional powers.  They battled their way into the final playoff spot despite being docked wins and points by the league’s disciplinary committee. Though they lost all three of their playoff matches against legendary Luleå, they showed no shortage of gumption and grit.  They were, quite simply, a lot of fun to watch.  On Sunday at home, they got out to an unexpected (but certainly not undeserved) 3-1 lead before eventually succumbing to the Luleå Offense Machine.  Skellefteå’s Ida Kuoppala tallied her third of the playoffs to open the scoring before Luleå and Viivi Vainikka responded just over a minute later.  Halfway through the second frame, Skellefteå took the lead and then extended it on a pair of quick goals from Vilma Granlund and Ronja Mogren, to the ecstatic celebrations of the home fans in attendance.  Their joy was, cruelly, short lived.  SDHL regular season scoring champion Petra Nieminen drove wide and roofed a puck over Skellefteå keeper Camryn Drever to make it 3-2 before teammate Jaycee Magwood redirected a Nadia Mattivi pass past Drever to tie the game at 3-3.  Magwood scored again in the third period off a perfect pass from Vainikka to give Luleå the lead, and the eventual win, 4-3.  Skellefteå’s season is over, but they can hold their heads high after a strong showing in their inaugural SDHL campaign.  Luleå, for their part, will be tough to beat in the coming rounds.  Their embarassment of riches, including Nieminen, Vainikka, Magwood, Mattivi, Emma Nordin, Johanna Fällman, Sarah Bujold, Jenni Hiirikoski, Akane Shiga, Erica Reider, Savannah Norcross, et al. has barely shifted into high gear. When it does, one wonders which other team can possibly keep up.

Frölunda Heating Up,  Punches Ticket to Round 2

Linköping 1 - Frölunda 3 (Frölunda wins series 3-0)

Linköping needed to fight for survival in this game and it seemed, early on, that the Fates might be on their side.  Two minutes into the opening period, Linköping scored off a misplay by Frölunda goaltender Steph Neatby to make it a 1-0 game early. Unfortunately for the locals, their lead was short lived, as defender Lindsay Agnew made a mistake of her own, sending a no-look backhand pass directly to FHC’s Sofie Lundin in the slot. Lundin ripped the puck past goalie Ebba Svensson Träff to tie things up, and Frölunda rolled from there. First, Ebba Westerlind took a seemingly harmless shot on goal as the entered the zone, but the rebound was uncharacteristically bobbled by Svensson Träff and Westerlind whacked it in to give Frölunda a 2-1 lead.  Minutes later, with two Linköping players in the box for ill-advised penalties, Sydney Brodt scored off a lovely feed from Elisa Holopainen to give Frölunda a two goal cushion.  The rest of the game was plagued by penalties (and a questionably disallowed Frölunda goal), and FHC took home the win and the series sweep.  Frölunda’s offense has matured and is beginning to gel at exactly the right time.  Look for more fireworks in the next round.

Fischer’s Heroics Keep SDE Alive

SDE 3 - MoDo2 OT (MoDo leads series 2-1)

In a thrilling finish, SDE lived to fight another day, beating MoDo 3-2 in overtime to force Game 4.  Despite being heavily outshot and at times outplayed, MoDo built a 2-0 lead on pretty goals from Lauren Bellefontaine and Adela Sapovalivova.  First, Bellefontaine scored to complete a gorgeous MoDo zone entry passing play from Mira Hallin and Vendula Pribylova in the first frame.  Next, Sapovalivova figuratively broke an SDE defender’s ankles with a toe drag before sniping the puck home early in the third.  SDE, down but not out with 17 minutes remaining in the game, fought back.  On a power play and with fellow Norwegian Mathea Fischer acting as a screen, defender Emma Bergesen scored her first of the postseason to cut MoDo’s lead to one and set the stage for a dramatic finish. With three minutes left on the clock, MoDo appeared to score, but their goal was disallowed after video review.  SDE pulled goalie Kassidy Sauvé for an extra attacker and, miraculously, at 59:21, Michelle Löwenhielm tipped an Emily Nix point shot past MoDo’s Andrea Brändli to tie the game and keep SDE’s season alive.  In overtime, SDE captain Fischer, who shone all afternoon, scored on a deflection to give her team a fairytale victory in Game 3.  If SDE can maintain the same pace and netfront presence as in today’s match, they surely have a chance to tie the series tomorrow. Game 4 is Monday evening in Stockholm.

Vanhanen Hat Trick, Fabulous Finns Pace Brynäs to Game 3 Win

Djurgården 2 - Brynäs 5 (Brynäs leads series 2-1)

Sanni Vanhanen recorded her first SDHL playoff hat trick as Brynäs scored four third period goals to silence Djurgården’s home fans and take a 2-1 series lead on Sunday afternoon.  Vanhanen opened the scoring for Brynäs in the first period before Sara Säkkinen equalised for DIF later in the frame. After Djurgården took the lead in the second on Alice Östensson’s first of the playoffs, Brynäs appeared to be in trouble: they could not clear their zone, and incurred a series of foolish penalties, which allowed DIF to outshoot them 18-8 in the second period.  In the third, however, Brynäs’ Finnish contingent woke up: first, Vanhanen scored her second of the game less than a minute into the period. Next, Jenniina Nylund, playing her first playoff game this season after missing two with an undisclosed injury, scored to give Brynäs the lead only 90 seconds later. Oona Koukkula potted one of her own on a shot from the point, before Vanhanen completed her hat trick into an empty net to give the visitors the victory.  Brynäs goalkeeper Ena Nystrøm stopped 27 of 29 shots she faced for the win. Game 4 is set for Monday evening at 7pm.