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August 7, 2024 janet janet Others 0

Sweden is abuzz on Saturday about a crazy Friday night hockey game between Frölunda HC and Skellefteå AIK. In a pivotal Game 4 of the Swedish Hockey League semifinals at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Skellefteå won 7-6 in overtime, giving the northern club a commanding 3-1 series lead.

The game had everything: 13 goals, overtime drama, a strange own-goal right off a faceoff, and a controversial crosscheck that had Frölunda coach Roger Rönnberg and the team’s fans steaming afterward.

Skellefteå led 4-3 after 40 minutes, but it was in the third period when the temperature really turned up. Five goals were scored and another – a potential 5-5 goal by Frölunda – was washed out due to a kicking motion by Henrik Tömmernes banked the puck off goaltender Gustaf Lindvall and in the net.

With Skellefteå still leading 5-4 with 11:37 to go, Nicklas Lasu won a key faceoff in his own zone to defenseman Folin, who promptly fired a perfect shot inside the near post that beat his own goaltender Lars Johansson over the shoulder.

But it wasn’t over. Frölunda recovered with a pair of goals to force overtime. Then, after over 16 minutes of scoreless action, former Frölunda forward Andreas Johnson won it for Skellefteå on the power play.

There was a lot to digest after the game, but with Rönnberg on the headset, Swedish TV4 studio panel members questioned the coach about a cross-check late in the third period by Oscar Lindberg that knocked his player Tom Nilsson out of the game. Two slow-motion replays of the incident can be seen near the end of the Rönnberg interview.

“It’s a very disrespectful thing that we shouldn’t have in Swedish hockey. It’s a cross-check in the back when the play is over,” said Rönnberg. “It is terribly unnecessary. It’s a shame, I have a lot of respect for Oscar Lindberg, he’s one of the series’ best players, but he shouldn’t keep doing stuff like that.”

Lindberg, 32, is in his first season back in Skellefteå after 11 seasons abroad. That included four NHL seasons with the New York Rangers, Vegas Golden Knights and Ottawa Senators. Lindberg was already under some scrutiny for an apparent slewfoot earlier in the series that went unpunished.

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