SHL Playoffs: Lulea beat Frolunda as Skelleftea make strong quarter-finals start

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lulea/0QhOwF1e/"]Lulea[/a] had held off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orebro/Y3RLgQQn/"]Orebro[/a] in the eighth-finals to set up a repeat of the Champions Hockey League final, which also went to overtime, but crucially it was the visitors celebrating a 3-2 win this time, to take a 1-0 series lead.[/p][p]The opening goal went to the reigning SHL champions just over eight minutes in, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koivistoinen-eetu/WfGXzdV5/"]Eetu Koivistoinen[/a] dug out a shot under pressure, which was diverted in off the skate of the unfortunate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hogberg-linus/2Pu9knWI/"]Linus Hogberg[/a].[/p][p]But high-sticking from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hedqvist-isac/tjQztRYE/"]Isac Hedqvist[/a] four minutes later was all the invitation [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/frolunda/pAG4OqEE/"]Frolunda[/a] needed to draw level, as the reliable [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cederqvist-filip/CjBXtJEl/"]Filip Cederqvist[/a] finished off the move to equalise on the powerplay.[/p][p][b]Hedqvist made amends with six minutes to play in the second period, as he put Lulea back in front after being set up by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/laaksonen-oskari/EyuZPdSS/"]Oskari Laaksonen[/a], but again the visitors' lead didn't last, as Noah Dower Nilsson scored his first goal since 24th January three minutes into the third period.[/b][/p][p]That sent the match to overtime, where a trip by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nilsson-tom/bDlgGSuA/"]Tom Nilsson[/a] after six-and-a-half minutes proved fatal for the Gothenburg side, [b]as 40 seconds later Laaksonen was again the provider, this time for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/levtchi-anton/dvVa6x9C/"]Anton Levtchi[/a] to maintain his record of scoring once in every game this postseason and win it, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/frolunda-pAG4OqEE/lulea-0QhOwF1e/?mid=Czg9ydYH"]3-2[/a].[/b][/p][embed guid="5f1e2dd3-ad23-4904-aee3-df67cc826ad9" url="https://x.com/SHLse/status/2036150076481970658" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Regular season title winners [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/skelleftea/8jdWygW7/"]Skelleftea[/a] were forced to come from behind against the lowest-ranked side still left in the competition, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/malmo/pO1SCzgR/"]Malmo[/a], but in the end had a more comfortable opening night, winning [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/malmo-pO1SCzgR/skelleftea-8jdWygW7/?mid=zy9yNdJO"]4-1[/a] at home to go ahead in the series.[/b][/p][p]Following a goalless opening period, the Redhawks took the lead six minutes into the second when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pajuniemi-lauri/SfmMx4Zq/"]Lauri Pajuniemi[/a] took possession behind the net and forced the puck past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/soderstrom-linus/W2QwEFRe/"]Linus Soderstrom[/a] on the stretch.[/p][p]But the visitors' lead lasted all of 15 seconds, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/okuliar-oliver/SdnRg9M8/"]Oliver Okuliar[/a] set up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/johnson-jonathan/pfjgWWWG/"]Jonathan Johnson[/a] for Skelleftea's first postseason goal, before they completed the turnaround on the powerplay late in the period, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindberg-oscar/IBpaSV2T/"]Oscar Lindberg[/a] struck the bar and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aagaard-mikkel/v57qjaw9/"]Mikkel Aagaared[/a] reacted quickest to the rebound.[/p][p][b]The number one ranked side finally got some breathing space midway through the final period when Okuliar set up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/djuse-emil/fqv8tCod/"]Emil Djuse[/a], before the Slovak made it a hattrick of assists late on when he teed up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/johnsson-andreas/043KOsZu/"]Andreas Johnson[/a] for an empty-netter that sealed victory.[/b][/p][embed guid="e73b3bfb-c2ca-411b-82b4-21957f325ca3" url="https://x.com/SHLse/status/2036165956582453587" social-type="twitter" /][p]Game two in both series will be played on Wednesday 25th March, 24 hours after the other two quarter-finals get underway, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rogle/j5ve8f1r/"]Rogle[/a] meet [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/farjestad/4b1TBPb8/"]Farjestad[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vaxjo/hzXCSnCE/"]Vaxjo[/a] welcome [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brynas/MZgKvenk/"]Brynas[/a].[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/sweden/shl/"]Follow every match of the SHL playoffs on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]