SHL Playoffs: Rogle one win from finals after quick start downs Vaxjo

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vaxjo/hzXCSnCE/"]Vaxjo[/a] halted Rogle's six-match winning run with a 4-2 victory on the road two nights earlier, but they could not repeat the trick at Catena Arena in a game four in which Rogle took just over 10 minutes to pull clear.[/p][p]Things started to go wrong for Vaxjo when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gardiner-reid/Qato2gFm/"]Reid Gardiner[/a] was called for slashing in the ninth minute, and on the resulting powerplay, [b]neat play between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olofsson-fredrik/EaoM2Dbt/"]Fredrik Olofsson[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dickinson-josh/IiSJCKLQ/"]Josh Dickinson[/a] set up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nilsson-felix/vN94rnWb/"]Felix Nilsson[/a] to score from close range.[/b][/p][p]A minute later it was 2-0 when [b]Dickinson won a face-off in the attacking zone, allowing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kuhlman-karson/Qm4fNlSg/"]Karson Kuhlman[/a] to pick up the puck and fire a quick shot through the crowd that had passed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/persson-ludvig/0hnQywup/"]Ludvig Persson[/a][/b] before he could react.[/p][p]With 10:13 played the home side opened a three-goal advantage when[b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sandin-linus/xj6jrOtB/"]Linus Sandin[/a] reacted well to a pass from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/johansson-filip/0pHTk8E8/"]Filip Johansson[/a] that was just behind him, before swerving neatly away from the defence and unleashing a powerful finish[/b].[/p][embed guid="dba87373-44ed-4522-942c-2bd560453b99" url="https://x.com/roglebk/status/2044110579388821818" social-type="twitter" /][p]There was something of a reprieve for the Lakers early in the second period when a huge pile of bodies amassed in the goal crease before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ladue-paul/nFpM0wsp/"]Paul LaDue[/a] forced the puck over the line, only for it to be ruled out for obstructing the goaltender.[/p][p]But that was the extent of the visitors' good fortune, as eight minutes into the period they were four down, [b]as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bristedt-leon/KQNpzlpH/"]Leon Bristedt[/a] passed back to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/goransson-mattias/463KSuSE/"]Mattias Goransson[/a] at the blue line, and his shot went all the way through for his first goal since December 2024.[/b][/p][p]That was the only goal of a middle period which saw a flurry of penalties on both sides, including for fighting - with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bengtsson-anton/Wrrh9m4S/"]Anton Bengtsson[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rasmussen-dennis/jmVyoXQF/"]Dennis Rasmussen[/a] among those involved - but neither could make use of their powerplay opportunities when they arose, not that it mattered for the home side, who were in complete control.[/p][p]The third period, in contrast, was a much more peaceful affair until LaDue was sent to the box for roughing, and Vaxjo finally got themselves on the board in the final six minutes, as [b]Gardiner finished off on the powerplay, spoiling [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/holm-arvid/QcJ8IO54/"]Arvid Holm[/a]'s shutout.[/b][/p][p]But [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/rogle-j5ve8f1r/vaxjo-hzXCSnCE/?mid=x2l984nI"]4-1 was how it finished[/a], leaving Rogle one win from setting up a Le Mat Trophy showdown with Skelleftea. Their first chance to wrap up this series comes on Thursday 16th, where they will be looking for a third win at Vida Arena in just over a week.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/sweden/shl/"]Follow the SHL playoffs on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]