Since Björklöven were promoted to the SHL this spring, their meeting with rivals Skellefteå has been one of the most anticipated matches of the season. The teams had not met in the top league for 38 years.
On Saturday, the teams faced off in front of a packed arena in Umeå. The arena has a capacity of 5,400 spectators and, according to Björklöven’s marketing department, tickets sold out in 90 seconds.
Silenced the party
But the home crowd did not get a good start. Arvid Lundberg scored on the first shift to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
When Skellefteå were then penalized, Björklöven had a golden opportunity to get back into the game.
Instead, the opposite happened. Skellefteå quickly turned the tables, and Rickard Hugg extended the lead to 2–0. The goal gave the electric atmosphere an extra boost.
Just a few minutes later, Skellefteå thought they had extended their lead even further. Oskar Vuollet skated the puck into the net to make it 3–0, but after a video review, the referees disallowed the goal.
Before the first period was over, however, the visitors scored again. Pär Lindholm broke through Björklöven’s defence and put the puck past Lassi Lehtinen to make it 3–0. This time, the goal stood.
“Deplorable”
The mood in the Björklöven camp was gloomy during the first intermission.
It’s sad, they score in the first shift and they score on the power play. It’s under the ice. It starts in the first shift where they push it in. Damn, we have to calm down a little and dare to play, there are 40 minutes left, said Björklöven’s Lucas Ekeståhl-Jonsson to TV4 Play.
But Björklöven’s fortunes did not improve for the rest of the match.
Skellefteå completely controlled the game and ultimately won by a crushing 8–1.
"What’s on the board speaks for itself. We’re a few sizes smaller than them. We get a little paralyzed and can’t handle this type of match," said Björklöven’s assistant coach Daniel Rahimi at the end of the third period.
Skellefteå are second in the SHL standings, five points behind league leaders Färjestad. Björklöven are seventh.