Statement Made: Vainikka’s PWHL Draft Stock Continues to Rise as Forward Records Four Assists in Luleå OT Win

A big night from Viivi Vainikka and an impressive debut from Camryn Wong headline the recent SDHL action. Here's a look:

Frölunda 3 - Luleå 4 OT

Viivi Vainikka continued shine as one of the SDHL’s top forward prospects, tallying four points in Luleå’s overtime win against Frölunda. Luleå led the game 3-0 early in the second period on the strength of goals from Emma Nordin, Linnea Johansson and Sarah Bujold. Vainikka assisted on all three markers, and her passes to Johansson (a cross-ice feed on the power play) and Bujold (a slick backhand from below the goal line) were particularly beautiful. Frölunda battled all the way back — led by their own Finnish star, Michelle Karvinen, whose sixteenth and and seventeeth goals of the season bracketed one by young gun Edit Danielsson, back home after her coming out party at the recent U18 Women’s World Championships. The game went to overtime and seemed destined for a shootout, until Vainikka struck again, literally at the last second. Her perfect pass found Luleå newcomer Camryn Wong on the back door for a tap-in at 64.59. Wong’s game-winning goal was her first SDHL point, in her very first SDHL game. A storybook ending to a thrilling game. Vainikka’s four assists, and the quality of those assists, are a testament to the forward’s potential — at only 23-years-old, she is a superstar in the making.

SDE 5 - MoDo 4 OT

In a tightly contested, back and forth affair, SDE eventually triumphed in overtime on the strength of Mimmi Gill’s eighth goal of the season. SDE came out firing, but despite dominating possession and scoring chances in the first frame, went into the intermission tied 1-1. In the second frame, criminally underrated SDE and Swedish national team sparkplug Lisa Johansson gave her team the lead, 2-1. Johansson has been a force in the second half of the season, and has now scored in eleven straight games (5G, 9A). The diminutive veteran battles, hits people, blocks shots and has the deceptiveness, edge and vision that teams covet. The overtime hero, however, was Gill, who punctuated a 2-on-1 rush with teammate Julie Zwarthoed by redirecting a pass through the pads of MoDo’s Lovisa Persson to give SDE their seventh straight win.

HV71 4 - Skellefteå 6

HV71 struck first, but Skellefteå struck most in a high-scoring affair in Jönköping on Friday night. HV’s Kennedy Bobyck scored the first period’s lone goal, and added a second only minutes into the second frame. A handful of Finns connected for Skellefteå early in the middle period to tie the score at two apiece — first Jenna Pirttijärvi, assisted by Aino Karppinen and Sini Karjalainen, and four minutes later, Ida Kuoppala unassisted. Skellefteå added two more before the period was out to bring the score to 4-2. Early in the third, SKE added another pair when Laura Lerchova and Malou Berggren tallied, each assisted by Kuoppala. HV fought back and scored two more goals of their own, but could not equalize and eventually lost 6-4. Elin Svensson registered a goal and two assists for HV71. The win put eight points between eigth place Skellefteå and ninth place HV71 in the race for the league’s final playoff spot.

Leksand 1 - Brynäs 5

Brynäs made short work of hapless Leksand, and scored 3 goals in the first period en route to a 5-1 drubbing. Brynäs rookies Disa Carlsson and Matilda Österman each notched their very first SDHL goals, Hanna Thuvik added her twelveth of the season, and Mina Waxin had a goal and an assist. Leksand has now lost eleven straight games and look like a team that could be relegated at the end of the season. Their defensive structure appears non-existant at times, as the team gives up high quality scoring chance after high quality chance. Time and again, they allow opposing players to win loose pucks, maintain possession without pressure, and camp out in the slot. If they are to have any hope of remaining in the league, they need to figure out how to at least limit opposing teams’ scoring chances. Brynäs’ Emmy Nordström-Åmark made 21 saves for the win.