SHL Playoffs: Skelleftea beat Malmo to reach semi-finals as Frolunda stay alive

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/skelleftea/8jdWygW7/"]Skelleftea[/a] were denied a series clean sweep last time out, going down 2-1 away in overtime, but they clearly leapt at the chance to wrap up the quarter-final tie back at home in game five.[/p][p][b]Not quite five minutes were played when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/johnsson-andreas/043KOsZu/"]Andreas Johnsson[/a] hooked the puck out of a melee and played it across goal for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stjernborg-victor/IksTRyYi/"]Victor Stjernborg[/a] to tap home, and less than a minute later it was 2-0 when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pudas-jonathan/6NybQmEC/"]Jonathan Pudas[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grahn-viktor/hnUwYDvM/"]Viktor Grahn[/a] unlocked the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/malmo/pO1SCzgR/"]Malmo[/a] defence for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/okuliar-oliver/SdnRg9M8/"]Oliver Okuliar[/a] to finish in style.[/b][/p][p]There were no more goals in the first period despite the home side having 17 of the 20 shots on goal, nor were there any in the second period, even though Skelleftea had another 19 to their opponents' seven, as the Redhawks were somehow still in the game after 40 minutes.[/p][embed guid="d0101e04-26b5-4e16-a51f-45fb09b47392" url="https://x.com/SHLse/status/2039032576975769762" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]But that was only until [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/handemark-fredrik/8WP5IyGI/"]Fredrik Handemark[/a] was called for tripping in the ninth minute of the final period, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/johansson-pontus/Or8s7TPe/"]Pontus Johansson[/a] punished Malmo on the resulting powerplay. [/b][/p][p]Malmo removed the goaltender early in an attempt to pull off an incredible comeback, [b]only for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindberg-oscar/IBpaSV2T/"]Oscar Lindberg[/a] to complete the scoring with an empty-netter with just under seven minutes still to play.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/soderstrom-linus/W2QwEFRe/"]Linus Soderstrom[/a] needed only make 12 saves in the dominant [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/malmo-pO1SCzgR/skelleftea-8jdWygW7/?mid=4YPmn9w1"]4-0 win[/a] to register a shutout, and Skelleftea move on to the last four, where they will play the lowest-ranked side to make it to the semi-finals.[/p][embed guid="07073c63-96ef-4ab7-93ee-088561c0e091" url="https://x.com/SHLse/status/2039061435683065979" social-type="twitter" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/frolunda/pAG4OqEE/"]Frolunda[/a] have successfully taken their season into April, securing the first of three consecutive victories they must obtain if they are going to stop [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lulea/0QhOwF1e/"]Lulea[/a] joining Skelleftea in the semis, winning [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/frolunda-pAG4OqEE/lulea-0QhOwF1e/?mid=dpWFVsvR"]2-1[/a] at home to reduce Lulea's lead in the series to 3-2.[/b][/p][p]Both sides had powerplay chances over the first half of the match in Gothenburg, but it took until the final two minutes of the second period for the first goal to arrive - [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/folin-christian/4buY2XmS/"]Christian Folin[/a] carried the puck right around the net before serving it across for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/egli-dominik/K6ovgncl/"]Dominik Egli[/a] to finish.[/b][/p][p]Frolunda opened a vital two-goal cushion five minutes into period three, [b]when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dower-nilsson-noah/lj7XWKKC/"]Noah Dower Nilsson[/a] set up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nilsson-tom/bDlgGSuA/"]Tom Nilsson[/a], and though [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shinnimin-brendan/tEJOBPzP/"]Brendan Shinnimin[/a] pulled a goal back in the final five minutes[/b], the home side held on for the crucial win. The sides meet again in Lulea for game six on 2nd April.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/sweden/shl/"]Follow the SHL Playoffs on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]