In a game interrupted midway through by ice issues, Frolunda Gothenburg doubled Karpat Oulu 4–2 to take a two-goal cushion into the second leg of the semi-final series. Max Gortz, Elias Falth and Mikael Wikstrand led the offensive charge with two points each.
Frolunda Gothenburg 4–2 Karpat Oulu
WATCH game highlights here | FOLLOW the series here
by Luke Fisher
GOTHENBURG – Frolunda Gothenburg go into next week's game in Oulu with a healthy two goal cushion, following their win by a pair of goals against Karpat Oulu tonight in Sweden. The game was interrupted by a lengthy stoppage due to problems with the ice at one end during the second period.
A very fast start to the game saw the teams trade goals with little over two minutes off the scoreboard. The hosts took the lead through Max Gortz with 21 seconds off the clock, however Oulu levelled things up with only 2:02 gone thanks to Julius Junttila. The game calmed down after the opening exchanges, with Frolunda growing into the match-up and putting their opponents under some serious pressure for long parts of the remainder of the first period. However, it remained tied after 20 minutes.
"We thought they would be a little more physical but they actually played more passive than we had expected," Frolunda assistant coach Klas Ostman told the club's website about Karpat's play, particuarly in the second period.
Robin Figren re-established the lead for the Indians at 28:27, before the game was to suffer from ice problems, which saw play delayed while technicians worked to resolve the issue. With the safety of the players the referees' top concern, it took almost an hour for the ice to be playable again, after which the players re-emerged from the locker rooms, had a short re-warm up, and played the remaining eight minutes of the period – and it was the Swedes who responded better after the break. A slap shot from the point by Elias Falth found the back of Tomi Karhunen's net at 32:53 to make put Frolunda 3-1 ahead, and it got worse for Oulu just over five minutes later when a puck to the net deflected in off Anton Blidh's skate to make it 4–1.
"I think we looked strong and, above all, our play without the puck was good," said Ostman. "I also think that we had a very good power play and we could have scored a couple of goals. In addition to the power play, I am most pleased with the play of our forwards in the defensive zone. We always had guys back and that made it easier for our defenders to defend."
A third period fightback of sorts did see Karpat pull the score back to 4–2 through Mika Pyorala, but despite several other chances during the course of the final session the visitors were unable to half the deficit.
According to Frolunda coach Roger Ronnberg, it was "a bit disappointing that they were able to score that last goal and that we couldn't get another goal on the power play. (However), Karpat is a very good team and we are happy to be two goals up." Looking ahead to the game in Oulu, he added, "I've seen many of Karpat's home games and they play with more aggressive forechecking, more skating not standing still in the neutral zone. So it will be a more open game. The way we are used to."
Karpat head home to Finland knowing that they will need at least three goals on home ice next week to have any chance of making the final; however, the can take confidence from knowing that they have not lost at home in the CHL so far this season. Frolunda, meanwhile, will remember that they have already lost on the road in the CHL – in Helsinki and Geneva – so the job is not done yet.