SHL Playoffs: Skelleftea Edge Lulea in Record-Breaking 7-Period Thriller

Skelleftea survive Lulea in SHL semi-final opener

Skelleftea wins 4-3 in seven periods, surpassing 1997 record for longest SHL game. Andreas Johnson scores winner as Skelleftea beats Lulea in record 123-minute SHL playoff match.

Skelleftea beats Lulea 4-3 in 123-minute SHL playoff match, breaking league record for longest game...

Skelleftea made history in the SHL playoffs, beating Lulea 4-3 in a mind-blowing 123-minute match that broke the record for the longest game in league history.

The game went into four periods of overtime, with Skelleftea emerging victorious after 122 minutes and 18 seconds of play. This epic clash surpassed the previous SHL record of 119:16, set way back in March 1997 between Leksand and Farjestad.

Skellefteå har återtagit ledningen!
Pontus Johansson smäller in 2-1 med ett slagskott 💥 pic.twitter.com/KxzmX2WWXv

— SHL.se (@SHLse) April 7, 2026

The match started off like any other, with top seeds Skelleftea looking sharp. They'd had an extra day off, having wrapped up their quarter-final against Malmo sooner than Lulea did against Frolunda, and it seemed to make a difference – they took the lead in the third minute! Max Krogdahl sent the puck flying from the blue line, and Lars Bryggman tapped it home.

Lulea weren't down for long, though. They leveled things up six minutes later when Isac Hedqvist won a turnover deep in Skelleftea's zone, setting up Brendan Shinnimin for the equalizer via Brian O'Neill's setup. The game was on.

The score stayed level at 1-1 until the final minutes of the second period, when Skelleftea snatched the lead back. Par Lindholm won a crucial face-off, and Pontus Johansson capitalized, finding space to blast the puck home and put Skelleftea ahead again.

Skelleftea extended their lead early in the third period, thanks to a power play goal. Oskari Laaksonen's late slashing penalty gave them the man advantage, and Oscar Lindberg made no mistake, tucking away the rebound from Johansson's pass. 3-1 Skelleftea.

Lulea refused to give up, and their fightback began. Oskar Engsund's pass deflected off Mans Forsfjall's skate, catching Skelleftea goalie Strauss Mann off guard and cutting the lead to 3-2.

The visitors kept pushing, and a holding penalty against Valter Lindberg gave them a power play chance. They capitalized in style – a slick team move ended with Mathias Brome setting up Frederic Allard for the equalizer, making it 3-3 with just nine minutes left.

Skelleftea's chance to end it early was snatched away as Lars Bryggman's shot hit the post, and Matteus Ward made a stunning save to deny Viktor Grahn a minute later. The intensity was high, but neither team could break the deadlock in the first 20 minutes of OT.

The fifth period loomed, and Lulea had a power play chance late in the fourth, but they couldn't capitalize. Skelleftea almost punished them, with Max Krogdahl's deflected shot landing on the roof of the net – a heart-stopping moment.

Tempers flared late on, with both sides taking unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, but the score remained tied. Big chances were spilled by Oliver Okuliar, Rickard Hugg, and Lindholm in the sixth period, as the game surpassed the old record and pushed past 120 minutes.

The breakthrough finally came in the seventh period – Skelleftea's persistence paid off. Max Krogdahl's shot was wide, but Emil Djuse retrieved it behind the net and set it back for Andreas Johnson, who had enough to beat Ward and seal a thrilling 4-3 win for the home side.

The other SHL semi-final opener between Vaxjo and Rogle is set for tonight, Wednesday, April 8.

Both teams are looking to take an early lead in the series, and it's shaping up to be an exciting matchup.