In the SHL eighth-finals, Örebro secured a 3-1 victory over Luleå, with Kalle Miketinac scoring two goals to level the series at 1-1 after two games. Kalle Kossila added a power-play goal for Örebro in the second period, while Luleå's only response came from Anton Levtchi in the third period, according to multiple reports. The third and decisive match is scheduled for Saturday in Luleå, as confirmed by official sources. Örebro's win was decisive in forcing a game three, showcasing their resilience after dropping the series opener. The team's offensive output, led by Miketinac's dual strikes, proved too much for Luleå to handle despite Levtchi's late effort. This outcome ensures that the series will be settled in a winner-take-all contest, with both teams vying for advancement in the SHL playoffs.
Färjestad now leads the quarterfinal series against Rögle with a 3-0 advantage in matches. In their recent game, Rögle surged to a 5-0 lead after just 18 minutes, with Dennis Everberg opening the scoring after three minutes and Calle Själin contributing two goals, according to multiple reports. Isac Solberg also found the net for Rögle, assisted by Själin, before Färjestad made a goalie change, replacing Melker Thelin with Emil Larmi after 17 minutes. Viktor Lodin then scored Färjestad's first goal to make it 5-1 before the period break, and Marian Studenic received a penalty for crosschecking during Rögle's goal celebration, as reported by multiple sources.
Damn crybabies all of them. But you have to tease a little.
Rögle can tie the match series to 3-3 on Good Friday, according to official sources, and if they complete a comeback, they would become the first Swedish hockey team to win a quarterfinal series after being down 0-3 in matches. Their recent performance includes a 5-3 win over Skellefteå AIK, with Anton Bengtsson scoring the winning goal, as multiple reports indicate. Skellefteå AIK currently leads the SHL standings with a four-point advantage over Frölunda, with two rounds remaining, according to multiple reports. Rögle's goaltender Christoffer Rifalk has maintained a save percentage of at least 94.12% in his last four games, while Arvid Holm has lost four of his last five starts for the team, based on multiple reports.
In the SM-liiga, SaiPa and Porin Ässi played a marathon quarterfinal opener on Saturday after a 1.5-week wait, with the game decided in the fourth overtime period by a winning goal from 19-year-old Sakari Kostilainen at 124:23, according to multiple reports. Kostilainen had earlier scored Ässi's 1-1 goal in the second period, and Ässi had a goal disallowed in overtime due to goaltender interference after video review. This contest became the third-longest in SM-liiga history.
They cry, whine. Damn babies, then you have to be on them.
SaiPa was the more dominant team overall in that game, with 4,750 spectators in attendance, and they fired 123 shots, according to multiple reports. Ässi's goalie Jan Bednar made 63 saves in the effort. The statistical dominance by SaiPa, combined with Bednar's performance, underscored the tight nature of the matchup that ultimately required extended overtime to resolve.
In other playoff action, Lindlöven came back from a 0-2 deficit to win 3-2 in overtime against Boden, forcing a fifth and decisive semifinal, as reported by multiple sources.
He has come in with a completely different attitude.
Emil Larmi returned to Färjestad's goal on Thursday after personal reasons, according to multiple reports, with his pregnant partner Annika announcing they lost their child for the third time.
David Tomasek has poured in points in the regular season for Färjestad in recent seasons, but in the 23/24 season, he had 45 points in the regular season and only one point in the playoffs, according to official sources. He now seems to have finally gotten things in order for the playoffs, scoring a goal in Saturday's meeting and following a hat trick in the previous match, which puts him at the top of the playoff scoring league, as confirmed by official sources.
I follow Victor a lot. His journey is insanely cool. He was incredibly good at hockey too. I have been to watch some match in Manchester.
Dennis Rasmussen, a 35-year-old center who grew up in Surahammar, about two miles from Victor Nilsson Lindelöf's hometown Västerås, scored the 4-3 goal in Thursday's 6-4 win against Brynäs, according to official sources. After the match, he was in a hurry to get to the locker room to watch another game. According to SVT Sport, Dennis Rasmussen described following Victor a lot, noting his journey is insanely cool and that he was incredibly good at hockey too, adding that he has been to watch some match in Manchester.
Axel Bergkvist contributed 1+1 in the evening match against Rögle, first playing the puck to Linus Johansson, who broke the zero, before he himself extended for Färjestad, as official sources report. Daniel Zaar reduced the score in the third period, but Färjestad held out to win. According to SVT Sport, Linus Johansson described that Bergkvist has come in with a completely different attitude.
In the third period, Josh Dickinson suffered an ugly hit and needed help off the ice, according to official sources. On Monday, Färjestad can secure a semifinal spot, as confirmed by official sources.
In youth and lower league results, Malmö won 4-1 against Rögle in the U20-SM eighth-finals, with Janis Grossniklaus scoring two goals, according to multiple reports. Tyler Kelleher scored two goals for MoDo in the Hockeyallsvenskan quarterfinal against AIK, and Rögle won 4-3 against Växjö in a U20 Nationell Södra match, with Oliver Dejbjerg Larsen scoring the winning goal at 17:34 in the third period, as multiple reports indicate. This was Rögle's second consecutive win in that league.
Unverified claims from other sources report that Leo Bengtsson scored two goals, with Lech Poznan taking the series lead in Ekstraklasa. According to Sajten Weszlo, Leo Bengtsson received the highest rating of all players after the match, opening the scoring with a free kick in the 33rd minute and extending the lead by scoring a rebound three minutes later. The match ended 4-1, and Sajten Weszlo gave Bengtsson a rating of eight out of ten, though these details lack broader confirmation.
Upcoming decisive matches include the third game between Luleå and Örebro on Saturday and Färjestad's potential semifinal clincher on Monday. According to SVT Sport, Noah Steen described opponents as damn crybabies all of them, but you have to tease a little, and in another comment, he described them as crying, whining, damn babies, then you have to be on them.