SDHL Playoffs: Lulea Looks For Sixth Straight Championship

There is a lot on the line this year for Lulea. Not only will they look for their sixth straight SDHL title, but they're doing so knowing the landscape of the SDHL is about to change as European stars begin to migrate toward the PWHL in North America. With a handful of Lulea stars like Noora Tulus, Ronja Savalainen, and Daniela Pejsova already declaring their interest in moving to the PWHL next season, this could be their last season of dominance to the level they've experienced for the bulk of the last decade.

Here's a look at the SDHL's opening round playoff match ups.

Lulea won all for match ups against Leksand this week by a combined score of 17-2. It was complete domination, and in the one versus eight seed match up, the teams finished 56 points apart in the standings. Lulea is a powerhouse with Tulus, Vivvi Vainikka, Petra Nieminen, Salvolainen, Emma Nordin and Jenni Hiirikoski powering their attack in waves. Leksand has a group of North American players who will compete hard, but they lack the firepower or defensive depth to keep up.

MoDo enters their opening round series against SDE as the heavy favorite. They are a young team led by Lina Ljungblom, Adela Sapovalivova, Ebba Hedqvist, Wilma Sundin, and American defender Emma Seitz. In goal, Swiss standout Andrea Brandli has been spectacular. MoDo already broke up the hold Lulea and Brynas had in the regular season, but they'll need to make the final to complete the job. Facing SDE to open the playoffs, few are doubting MoDo will walk through this series. SDE has a solid group of international players, but they aren't to the level of MoDo. The top scoring threat with SDE is USports alumni Shae Demale, who is one of the best shooters in the SDHL, and is working herself into conversations for the PWHL next year.

Brynas won't be entering this three versus six match up despite being the higher seed. That's because Linkoping beat Brynas twice this season, and took them to overtime a third time in their four games, outscoring Brynas 14-10. Haruka Toko, Sara Hjalmarsson, and Justine Reyes are the trio doing the heavy lifting for Linkoping as no other player on their roster hit double digits in goals. Perhaps more concerning for Brynas is the fact that reigning SDHL MVP Anna Meixner suffered a season ending injury recently. Brynas can produce in a number of ways however as they have the league's top scoring blueliner in Maja Nylen Persson, and the fourth leading scorer from the point Sara Cajanova. The x-factor for the series is Klara Peslarova in net for Brynas who can steal games, and they'll need her to be sharp to avoid upset at the hands of Linkoping.

Last season at this time, Frolunda was eyeing promotion to the the SDHL. An early season injury to Hanna Olsson threatened their year, but the remainder of Frolunda's revamped roster has held the fort and made them a difficult team to play against. Star Michelle Karvinen is the guiding force, but Frolunda has depth, solid goaltending, and a good mix of veterans and young talents. To truly make another step forward, Frolunda needs to beat Djurgardens in the opening round. Djurgardens is led by Anneke Linser, who will certainly be gaining attention from the PWHL, along with Czech youngster Tereza Plosova and young Swedes Nicole Hall and Ida Boman. This one is a coin toss, but Frolunda is going to want this series badly.