SHL Playoffs: Skelleftea beat Malmo with late turnaround as Frolunda thump Lulea

[p]Any hopes that the playoffs would kick-start [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/frolunda/pAG4OqEE/"]Frolunda[/a]'s form were dismissed when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lulea/0QhOwF1e/"]Lulea[/a] won 3-2 after overtime in Gothenburg in game one, putting the European champions under real pressure to deliver in their second meeting.[/p][p]As it turned out, Frolunda came out swinging - [b]they broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cederqvist-filip/CjBXtJEl/"]Filip Cederqvist[/a] squared the puck in front for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/friberg-max/MNcXexoh/"]Max Friberg[/a] to bury, and after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/laaksonen-oskari/EyuZPdSS/"]Oskari Laaksonen[/a] was called for hooking soon after, Cederqvist deflected a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tommernes-henrik/4OY23xEQ/"]Henrik Tommernes[/a] effort into the net.[/b][/p][p]In the second period, it was more of the same, as Cederqvist was again involved before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/peterson-jacob/GxHzqgMQ/"]Jacob Peterson[/a] pulled the puck back for Friberg to fire home his second in the seventh minute. [b]Six minutes later, the same trio were involved again, but this time it was Cederqvist completing his brace.[/b][/p][p]A spate of penalties early in the third period stopped the home side's goal scoring for a time being, but after Lulea lost [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nurmi-markus/O0TLEqg1/"]Markus Nurmi[/a] for a game misconduct penalty, Frolunda carried on from where they left off, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/innala-jere/fse4jvhm/"]Jere Innala[/a] made it 5-0 with just over 10 minutes to play.[/p][p][b]The visitors continued to have discipline issues, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hedqvist-isac/tjQztRYE/"]Isac Hedqvist[/a]'s cross-checking was punished on a powerplay by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/niederbach-theodor/UamWIep4/"]Theodor Niederbach[/a], and after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shinnimin-brendan/tEJOBPzP/"]Brendan Shinnimin[/a] became the second Lulea player ejected, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ruotsalainen-arttu/MTEBCg7i/"]Arttu Ruotsalainen[/a] made it [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/frolunda-pAG4OqEE/lulea-0QhOwF1e/?mid=IZKtJmIj"]7-0[/a] with still over five minutes left.[/b][/p][p]That turned out to be the end of the scoring, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/normann-tobias/tK0TqQyR/"]Tobias Normann[/a] at the other end only needed to make 14 saves in his shutout, as Frolunda fans left the Scandinavium wondering where had this team been for the several weeks.[/p][embed guid="df84642c-a8dd-44c2-8184-de72ff26c20d" url="https://x.com/SHLse/status/2036882718844191063" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Regular season champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/skelleftea/8jdWygW7/"]Skelleftea[/a] were 2-0 down at home to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/malmo/pO1SCzgR/"]Malmo[/a] as the third period got underway, but a late comeback and a winner in the dying seconds saw them beat the lowest seeds left in the competition, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/hockey/malmo-pO1SCzgR/skelleftea-8jdWygW7/?mid=Qalos04t"]3-2[/a].[/b][/p][p]A shock was on the cards in the second period of their first meeting up north, before Skelleftea ultimately cruised to a 4-1 victory, and many were expecting something similar, and so it was beginning to prove after the second goalless opening period in as many games.[/p][p]Just as they had two nights earlier, Malmo even took the lead - 15 minutes into the second period, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/oberg-linus/lG6J3cA5/"]Linus Oberg[/a] darted down the left side before his shot deflected off the skate of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vesterheim-petter/byWIQW0d/"]Petter Vesterheim[/a] and into the net.[/p][p][b]But then, the Redhawks went off-script, going 2-0 ahead three minutes later when Vesterheim knocked the puck back to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hanzl-robin/pS5mJ6qI/"]Robin Hanzl[/a], and he found the arriving Oberg to steer in the visitors' second.[/b][/p][p]However, in the third period, Skelleftea fought back once again, pulling a goal back in the second minute when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aagaard-mikkel/v57qjaw9/"]Mikkel Aagaard[/a] set up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lindberg-oscar/IBpaSV2T/"]Oscar Lindberg[/a], and with just under five minutes to play they were level, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grahn-viktor/hnUwYDvM/"]Viktor Grahn[/a] tapped in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/davidsson-jonathan/WGoq7bVB/"]Jonanthan Davidsson[/a]'s pass right in front.[/p][p]The match looked destined for overtime, but with just 11 seconds left on the clock, [b]Skelleftea broke Malmo hearts when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/krogdahl-max/Uu5QmA17/"]Max Krogdahl[/a] found [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bryggman-lars/boWd01ar/"]Lars Bryggman[/a] - his initial effort was saved, but he was quickest to the rebound, poking hom to win it and give the home side a 2-0 series lead.[/b][/p][embed guid="f541660e-f69b-42ff-b9da-bf74e96999c5" url="https://x.com/SHLse/status/2036903158899683349" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Game three of both series will be played on Friday 27th, the day after the second games in the other two quarter-final series.[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/hockey/sweden/shl/"]Follow every match of the SHL playoffs on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]