Never Say Die: Skellefteå Steals Another Win

While the PWHL prepared to drop the puck on their opening day, the SDHL continued their schedule. Here's a look.

HV71 1 - MoDo 3

HV71 came into Friday’s matchup hoping to snap their six game losing streak, but were in tough against MoDo, the league’s second best team. A victory in regulation time would give MoDo 42 points on the season, tying them with Luleå who would nonetheless remain in first place with a game in hand. Emma Seitz opened the scoring for MoDo with a shot through traffic that beat goaltender Viktorie Svejdova cleanly. MoDo played their usual high tempo game, but HV met speed with speed early on, and created a number of excellent chances in the opening period. HV’s transitions have improved noticeably over the past few weeks, led by captain and top scorer Elin Svensson and the indefatigable Kennedy Bobyck. Despite HV’s efforts, MoDo added to their lead in the second frame when Adéla Sapovalivová scored her ninth of the season, and kept her recent hot streak alive. The Czech whiz kid now has 15 points in her last ten games. HV71 captain Svensson scored her 11th of the season on a third period power play, but it was too little, too late, as MoDo added an empty netter to seal the victory, 3-1.

MoDo faces Frölunda in a crucial matchup between the SDHL powerhouses on Sunday, while HV71 meets Brynäs.

Linköping 1 - Skellefteå 2 SO

Goaltender Camryn Drever and Skellefteå have themselves a winning streak. For the first time this season, the team has won three straight games after defeating Linköping in a shootout on Friday night. Despite a shaky first period that saw LHC throw 17 shots Drever’s way, beating her once, the women in yellow steadied themselves and found a way to win. Linköping captain Sara Hjalmarsson continued her strong play of late, scoring her fifth of the season nearly eight minutes into the first period. Skellefteå responded seven minutes later, when Isabella Pozzi tallied her second goal of the season. Despite a handful of power plays for each team in the second and third periods, the score remained tied at one apiece. Overtime solved nothing and the game went to a shootout. Skellefteå’s Marah Wagner and Ellen Lövgren scored (the latter goal had to be confirmed by video replay after bouncing out of the net as quickly as it went in), and Drever shut to door to give their team the 2-1 victory.

Both teams are back at it on Sunday. Linköping faces Luleå and Skellefteå meets Djurgården.

Frölunda 4 - Brynäs 1

Brynäs put up a fight against Frölunda’s formidable offense but struggled to match lines in the third period and paid the price, succumbing 4-1. Brynäs returnee Fanni Garát-Gasparics, back with the team after a stint in the PWHL with Ottawa last season, brought the veteran presence and the right-handed shot the team needed, and generated a number of decent chances. Brynäs goaltender Ena Nystrøm played a strong game, stopping numerous high risk Frölunda attacks, but in the end it was all for naught. In the third period, Frölunda head coach Erika Holst did an excellent job of matching her best lines against Brynäs’ youngest and least experienced, and her stars did what they are expected to do. Their team outshot Brynäs 18-3 in the final frame, and Sofie Lundin, Hanna Olsson and Elisa Holopainen all scored before Michelle Karvinen added an empty-netter to put the icing on the cake. With the win, Frölunda keeps pace with league leaders Luleå and MoDo, and trails each by only one point in the standings.

Both teams play important games on Sunday. Frölunda meets MoDo for the opportunity to leapfrog them in the standings. Brynäs plays HV71 with a chance to pick up vital points in the quest to avoid the relegation round at the end of the season.