SHL Finals: Skelleftea Can Clinch Title at Home in Game 5

Skelleftea edge closer to Le Mat trophy after game 4 victory

Rogle pulled one back late through Linus Sandin but couldn’t complete the comeback as Skelleftea held on for a crucial away win.

An early two-goal lead and a key 2-on-1 finish from Lindholm and Okuliar gave Skelleftea the edge in Angelholm...

Skelleftea moved within one victory of the Le Mat Trophy following a 3-2 road win against Rogle in Game 4 of the SHL Finals, giving them a 3-1 series lead.

Rogle avoided a sweep with an overtime victory in Game 3, and a second straight home win would tie the series before it returns to Skelleftea.

 

Skelleftea started strong and took control early, killing much of Rogle’s momentum in the first 15 minutes. In the 9th minute, Jonathan Davidsson’s pass from their own zone sent Emil Djuse down the right, and Djuse finished to put the visitors ahead.

Rogle created chances to level, but fell 2-0 behind shortly after. Jonathan Pudas fed the puck across the blue line to Viktor Grahn, who shotthrough traffic to extend Skelleftea’s lead.

Rogle pulled one back late in the period. With two minutes left, Leon Bristedt muscled the puck free in the attacking zone, and Fredrik Olofsson pounced on the loose puck in front to score.

Rogle had a prime opportunity to level it eight minutes into the second period after Lubos Horky drew a penalty, but Linus Sandin skied his shot against Strauss Mann. Skelleftea then took charge for much of the rest of the period, though neither side found the net.

  

Skelleftea restored their two-goal advantage early in the third, taking under four minutes to strike. Oliver Okuliar and Par Lindholm broke in on a 2-on-1, with Lindholm sliding the puck to Okuliar. He drew the goalie and laid it back for Lindholm to tap into an empty net.

SAIK’s advantage nearly slipped late when Max Krogdahl was penalized for holding. Rogle capitalized on the power play as Linus Sandin blasted a fierce finish to make it 3-2, but the top seeds held firm for the road win.

Skelleftea can clinch the SHL title for the second time in three years at home in Game 5 on Saturday, May 2.