The opening games of the SDHL playoffs are in the books with the favorites surviving challenges. Here's a look at game one of each series.

Luleå dominated puck possession and scoring chances, but only just managed to squeak past spunky Skellefteå in the first game of the series.  After a penalty-plagued but goalless first period, Luleå star Emma Nordin broke the deadlock early in the second when she powered into the high slot and ripped a snap shot through traffic to finally beat SKE goalie Camryn Drever with Luleå’s 16th shot of the game.  Skellefteå was outplayed and outshot, but undeterred. They may not have generated a lot of shots, but the ones they did manage were often high quality scoring chances.  Late in the period, they scored on just such a chance as Nicoline Söndergaard Jensen won a puck race and centred to Ida Kuoppala who made no mistake and scored past Sara Grahn to tie the game at 1-1.  Luleå retook the lead late in the second when Akane Shiga scored on a rebound after an insane cross-crease Drever save on Petra Nieminen. In the third period, SKE and Kuoppala equalised again, this time on the power play, when she sniped from the right circle.  Unfortunately for Skellefteå, there would be no storybook ending.  Luleå got a 5-on-3 power play and Linnea Johansson, ruthlessly, converted with a one timer from the hash marks.  Hats off to Skellefteå for their tenacity, and to the champs for their patience.  Drever made 42 saves in the loss while Grahn made seven for the win. An entertaining match.  Game 2 takes place on Friday.

Brynäs came flying out of the gates and were rewarded with an early Fanni Garát-Gasparics goal. Djurgården responded almost immediately, when Hana Haasová toe dragged Brynäs defender Taylor Baker before snapping the puck inside the post to make the score 1-1.  Brynäs regained the lead on the power play later in the period when big Jenni Antonsson, parked in front of DIF keeper Ida Boman, tipped a point shot to make it 2-1.  The second period was plagued by Brynäs penalties as the team struggled to keep up with Djurgården’s speed and tenacity.  DIF tied the game on the advantage halfway through the second frame and never looked back.  A Brynäs offensive zone turnover sprung Djurgården’s Czech phenom Tereza Plosová on a partial breakaway that she effortlessly deposited past Brynäs’ Ena Nystrøm to give her team the league.  Plosová was not done there.  In the third period, she picked up the puck behind her own net and went coast to coast, smoothly weaving through Brynäs’ entire team before snapping the puck past Nystrøm without breaking stride.  4-2 Djurgården.  DIF’s speed gave Brynäs fits all night.  BIF  took 31 minutes of penalties and gave Djurgården more than seven minutes of power play time.  DIF skated literal and figurative circles around their opponents and lead the series 1-0.

SDE had multiple chances to open the scoring, but were denied by the brick wall that is MoDo goalkeeper Andrea Brändli.  The Swiss backstop made 14 saves in the first period, and gave her excited-looking teammates a chance to settle down and become friends with the puck again.  And become friends they did: MoDo got out to a 3-0 lead on the strength of goals from Emma Seitz, Alexa Gruschow and Ebba Hedqvist.  Seitz and Gruschow’s first period markers each came as a result of MoDo players attacking SDE’s defensive seams.  First, Seitz went on a relative solo mission, driving the puck into the slot before shooting and collecting her own rebound.  The second goal was generated off a shot by young Wilma Sundin, who drove off the left boards into a gaping hole in the SDE defense before shooting low for a rebound that was eventually deposited into the back of the net by Gruschow.  Hedqvist’s goal was an absolute snipe after a rough SDE defensive zone turnover.  Defense continued to be an issue for SDE all night, but their offense fought back. First, Mimmi Gill pounced on a rebound to reduce the MoDo lead to two.  Minutes later on the power play, Emily Nix sent a low shot-pass through traffic that was redirected by captain Mathea Fischer to bring SDE within one.  That was as close as it would get, as MoDo took home the win.  SDE has the offensive capability to make this a very interesting series if they can shore up their defensive structure.  Brändli made 30 saves for the win. Game 2 is set for Friday.

Andrea Dalen stayed red hot, tallying two goals and an assist in Frölunda’s first round win over Linköping on Wednesday night.  After falling behind 2-0 early in the second period, Frölunda’s offense, dominant to that point despite not scoring, found twine.  First, Dalen profited from a bit of Michelle Karvinen magic when she batted a rebound out of midair to cut Linköping’s lead in half. Next, Dalen performed some hocus pocus of her own when she danced into the high slot, turned and fired the puck past LHC’s Ebba Svensson Träff to tie the game at 2-2.  Minutes later, Frölunda took the lead when speedy Emilia Vesa circled behind the Linköping goal  and above the circles before scoring to make it 3-2.  Hanna Olsson added an important power play marker late to give Frölunda a more comfortable two goal lead, that stood until the final whistle.  FHC outshot LHC 53-20 in what was a tremendously exciting matchup. Game 2 is Friday.