Poulin-Labelle Stars in Brynäs Debut, Skellefteå Extends Winning

SDE Mounts Impressive Third Period Comeback; Skellefteå Extends Winning Streak to Five

Maude Poulin-Labelle had a spectacular start to her season in the PWHL recording three points in her first game. The league is also filled with North American players impacting games including Kassidy Sauve, Alexie Guay, Darcie Lappan, Dominique Kremer, Stephanie Neatby, and European standouts like Fanni Gasparics, Elin Svensson, Andrea Dahlen, and Hanna Olsson.

Here's a look at all the SDHL action from the weekend.

After a scoreless first period, MoDo appeared to take control in the second. They outshot SDE 16-8 in the middle frame, and got two goals. The first came on the power play when Darcie Lappan curled over the right circle and fired a shot through traffic that fooled SDE goaltender Kassidy Sauvé. The second came courtesy of Alexie Guay, a transition goal off a turnover, as has become MoDo’s signature this season. Two and a half minutes into the third period, SDE mounted their comeback. First, Mimmi Gil notched a pretty snipe, dangling a slew of defenders down the win before sniping past keeper Andrea Brändli. Two minutes later, SDE tied it up: Lisa Johansson won an offensive zone faceoff back to Kayleigh Hamers who performed some magic to keep the puck in, then fired it over to partner Dominique Kremer who put it on net, somehow beating Brändli. SDE took the lead when Gabi Jones jumped on a bad MoDo breakout pass and ripped a shot into the back of the net. SDE’s Lotti Odnoga added an insurance marker on the power play, and her team went home with the win. SDE’s net front presence has improved exponentially in recent weeks, and they are playing with a renewed confidence. They outshot MoDo by an impressive 28-5 in the third period alone, and made life difficult for one of the league’s top goalies in Brändli. SDE is a team on the rise.

Both teams are back at it on Sunday when MoDo meets bottom-feeders Leksand and SDE faces Brynäs away.

PWHL veteran Maude Poulin-Labelle made her debut for Brynäs and lived up to her billing, scoring three points in the form of a goal and an assist. Though slotted in on the second line with defender Annie Silén and forwards Fanni Garát-Gasparics, Sanni Vanhanen and Tilde Sundnäs Grillfors, Poulin-Labelle showed early chemistry with first-liner Hanna Thuvik. The two found each other effortlessly, and created a handful of excellent scoring chances. Indeed, Thuvik potted two goals in this game, each assisted by new pal Poulin-Labelle. The Québécoise defender, along with other recent acquisition Garát-Gasparics, has breathed new life and confidence into this Brynäs squad. The team is suddenly making plays, daring to be creative in a way that it had not earlier in the season. Leksand, for their part, will almost certainly find themselves playing to avoid relegation come Springtime. Goalie Emma Polusny and forward Saga Tynell-Nissas have been doing their best to guide the team to respectability, but they desperately need help.

Leksand’s job will not get easier on Sunday, when they face Top 3 MoDo. Brynäs meets SDE at home.

In this meeting between teams headed in opposite directions, Skellefteå improved their winning streak to five while HV stumbled to their ninth straight loss. Skellefteå came flying out of the gates, and outshot their opponents 17-5 in the first frame. SKE forward Laura Lerchova appeared determined to score her first of the season, and she managed it, converting a nice feed from Mikayla Lantto to give her team a 1-0 lead. Towards the end of the period, Lerchova returned the favor, assisting on Lantto’s power play goal to make it 2-0. The second period was plagued by penalties. Skellefteå was assessed four two-minute minors, and escaped the period without relinquishing a goal. The third period began with HV still on the advantage, and they finally succeeded in scoring when Elin Svensson tapped in a beautiful Kajsa Armborg pass to cut Skellefteå’s lead to one. That was as close as it would get, as HV took three more penalties, dashing their hopes of a comeback. With the win, Skellefteå climbed to fourth place in the standings.

HV71 will be in tough to break their losing streak, as they face league leaders Luleå on Sunday. Skellefteå meets Frölunda at home.

In the lone SDHL game of the day, Frölunda slew league-leading Luleå for the third time this season. Frölunda goalkeeper Stephanie Neatby made 29 saves, many of the spectacular variety, to silence the 3800 fans who had filled Luleå’s Coop Norrbotten Arena to see this clash between the league’s top two teams.

Frölunda came out firing in the first period, and pumped 13 shots on Luleå goalie Sara Grahn, but could not score. Neatby, though less busy, made perhaps the biggest save of the frame when she stoned Akane Shiga and Petra Nieminen on a 2 on 0 break. Frölunda’s Andrea Dalen generated a handful of quality chances, and seemed determined to put one past Grahn, but was denied time and again.

Barely a minute into the second period, Dalen’s persistence paid off when Frölunda forced a Nadia Mattivi turnover deep in Luleå’s zone. Sofie Lundin stripped the puck and passed to Hanna Olsson in the slot, who fed Dalen, hovering in the left circle. Dalen one-timed the pass past Grahn to give Frölunda the 1-0 lead. Minutes later, Lundin scored one of her own, a beautiful shot in stride to make it 2-0. Lundin’s marker was assisted by 17-year-old Edit Danielsson, who has been brimming with confidence of late. As if to emphasise her arrival as a force in the SDHL, Danielsson added a one-timer goal of her own to increase Frölunda’s lead to three. Luleå, back on their heels, took a timeout. The strategy paid off, as powerful Petra Nieminen took off breakaway minutes later and made no mistake, beating Neatby five hole to reduce the visitors’ lead to two. Late in the third period, with Grahn pulled for an extra attacker, Luleå struck again when Jaycee Magwood pounced on a rebound in the slot to bring her team within one. That was as close as they would get, and Frölunda won 3-2.

Luleå’s new signings, PWHL veterans Sarah Bujold and Savannah Norcross did not play today. They are awaiting Swedish visas and should make their debuts after the upcoming international break.