We go back through the history books from two years of CHL Semi-Finals.

by Luke Fisher

There was drama in both second-leg Semi-Final games two years ago, as Karpat and Lulea returned to home ice.

The Finns were 4-2 down from the first game in Gothenburg, and knew the importance of getting an early goal as they returned to home ice against Frolunda – Joonas Donskoi, now of the San Jose Sharks, duly obliged with a power-play goal with just 4:07 played. It was a tale of two power plays in the opening stages, with Mattias Janmark replying for Frolunda some two minutes later to re-establish the Indians' two-goal cushion.

As the clock ticked down on the final period, it was a magic minute that brought Karpat level – Esa Pirnes reacted first to a loose puck off the back boards to put the Finnish side ahead 2–1 on the night, and bringing them back to within one overall at 48:37. Then, just over 30 seconds later, the home crowd was sent into ecstasy when Julius Junttila was sent clear by Joonas Kemppainen through a nice give and go on the blue line. He skated in on Lars Johansson and put the puck home, tying game with just over 10 minutes to play.

With the tie level on aggregate after 60 minutes, the game went to sudden-death overtime, and it took Erik Gustafsson just 1:09 to win the game for Frölunda – Mathis Olimb's shot coming back off the post, and Gustafsson batting the puck out of mid-air into the net to score the series winner.

Lulea, meanwhile, were tied 2-2 with Skelleftea after their game the previous week, meaning it came down to the 60-minute match and no aggregate scoring. Karl Fabricius opened the scoring for Lulea at 5:41, but just 10 seconds after the goal Cam Abbott was called for boarding and defenceman Tim Heed tied it on a blast from the point on the power play. Daniel Zaar got Lulea the lead back, which they added to late in the middle period when Jan Sandstrom scored on Lulea's second power play of the game. Protecting a two-goal lead, Lulea completely shut down Skelleftea in the third, limiting their northern Swedish rivals to just three shots. Skelleftea did score a late goal with 1:09 to play, however. They were shorthanded, but playing five-a-side with goalie Erik Hanses on the bench, and Martin Lundberg beat Lassinantti with a long wrister to the far side.

However, any hopes of tying the score and sending the series to overtime were quickly dashed when, still shorthanded, Forsell iced the puck from his own zone but the puck sailed over the far end glass and out of play, resulting in a delay-of-game penalty. Hanses came out of the net to again make it 5-on-5 on the ice, but Lulea kept the puck away from their own net to preserve the victory.

Last season, both Karpat Oulu and Frolunda returned to home ice in the second legs after wins on the road a week before. Karpat won 3-2 in Rauma over Finnish rivals Lukko, and held on to their one-goal advantage thanks to a 2-2 tie at home. Karpat never trailed in the return leg, but things were made interesting when Lukko tired the score on the night wit just over five minutes to play – however, they were unable to find another goal.

In the other Semi-Final, Frolunda stepped out in Gothenburg 5-0 ahead of Davos from the first game. Try as they might to overturn the deficit, Frolunda were just too strong for the Swiss side and the return game ended in a 1-1 tie.