Luleå is the first SDHL team through to the league finals. Meanwhile, Brynäs inched closer with an overtime win versus Frölunda.

Brynäs 4 - Frölunda 3, 2OT (Brynäs leads series 2-1)

Brynäs built a 2-0 lead after 31 minutes of play, on the strength of a pair of Sanni Vanhanen goals. The lead seemed tenuous because it was, as Frölunda stormed back and scored three straight.  FHC dominated Brynäs for large parts of the game, but could not generate more than a handful of high quality scoring chances.  Elisa Holopainen, FHC’s regular season top scorer, factored in to all three of her team’s goals, scoring twice and assisting on a third.  Holopainen’s second goal came at 54:42 of the third period and looked like it might stand as the game winner.  Brynäs’ Celine Tedenby had other ideas as she ripped a beautiful snap shot past Stephanie Neatby to tie the game at 3-3 with minutes remaining.  

The first overtime period solved nothing, despite Frölunda outshooting Brynäs 10-4, due in large part to the excellent goaltending of BIF’s Ena Nystrøm, who has been excellent throughout the playoffs. With chances going both ways, Tedenby called game in the second overtime period when she threaded a perfect shot through traffic to beat Neatby and seal the win for Brynäs.  

Nystrøm stopped 40 of 43 shots she faced and now leads the league in save percentage (93,5) and is tied for playoff wins with 5.  Tedenby totalled three points (2+1), and Fanni Garát-Gasparics had two assists for BIF, while Holopainen also registered three points (2+1) for FHC.

The teams are back in action on Friday in Game 4.

SDE 2 - Luleå 3 (Luleå wins series 3-0)

SDE gave it their all but could not stop reigning champions Luleå.  In Game 3 of their Best of 5 series on Wednesday evening in Stockholm, SDE’s penalty troubles proved costly.  While LHF scored only one goal on the power play, it was the game-winner, off the stick of Wilma Sjölund.  In all, SDE was assessed six minor penalties, all of them in the second period. Luleå, for their part, played the patient game that has been their hallmark this season. They outshot SDE 45-30, scored three goals and went home happy. They did not blow their opponent out of the water; indeed, their performance through two playoff rounds has felt very much restrained. They have the firepower and depth to obliterate teams, but they seem to hold back. Shakespeare wrote that the quality of Mercy is “mightiest in the mightiest.”  Luleå is, without a doubt, the mightiest team in the SDHL.  That they are satisfied to win by one or two goals speaks to their strength rather than their weakness.  If they ever unleash the full extent of their ability, it is difficult to imagine them losing a series.

Kassidy Sauvé made 42 saves and Mathea Fischer had two goals for SDE in the loss. Jenni Hiirikoski had two assists, Jaycee Magwood scored her fourth of the playoffs, and Savannah Norcross had a goal and an assist for Luleå.  LHF is undefeated through 2 rounds and 6 playoff games.