Read below for information on the quarter-final series between Skellefteå AIK and Linköping HC. Skelleftea won the series 6–5 on aggregate, decided in a penalty shootout, and advanced to the semi-finals.

Game 2

SKELLEFTEA – Skelleftea AIK are through to the semi-finals, but they sure haven't taken the easy route there. In the eighth-finals they had to rally with two late goals and eventually won in a shootout. This time, in the quarter-finals against Linkoping HC, they allowed two late ones to force overtime. For the second straight round, they're advancing after a shootout victory.

Skelleftea entered their home half of the series with a one-goal lead, and in each of the first two periods Linkoping took the lead in the game – tying the aggregate score – but each time Skelleftea replied.

"I like taking unexpected shots," Skelleftea's Daniel Widing said about his first period marker. "I saw that (goaltender David Rautio) went down on his knees and I had some luck."

When Skelleftea took a 3–2 lead in the game – and 5–3 aggregate lead – midway through the third period, it looked like they might finally be pulling away, but with 5:36 to play Adam Pettersson took a costly five-minute kneeing penalty and a game misconduct. That gave Linkoping the opening they needed and their big guns scored twice – first Jakob Micflikier and then, with Rautio out to give his team a two-man numerical advantage, Broc Little banked in the tying goal off Erik Hanses and in to tie the aggregate score and send the game to overtime.

"It was an even game in Linkoping and an even game today so it is logical that it's decided in a shootout," acknowledged Linkoping captain Magnus Johansson. "It's fun to play in the CHL. I understand many follow the games on TV. I had hoped we could advance, but unfortunately not."

They didn't, because after a scoreless overtime period American Rob Schremp scored the only goal of the shootout – freezing Rautio with a fake and then backhanding the puck upstairs. Hanses stopped all five Linkoping shooters he faced to secure the victory.

"We want to win this tournament," Martin Lundberg said afterward, looking ahead to the northern Swedish derby in the semi-final. "It will be extra fun to play Lulea. Then there will hopefully be more people in the seats."

READ the Live Blog here | WATCH the highlights here

Game 1

LINKOPING – It was a game between two solid Swedish teams and in the first leg of this quarter-final they were as evenly matched as you can get. Both goalies – Marcus Hogberg of Linkoping HC and Erik Hanses of Skelleftea AIK – made 29 saves, but Skelleftea put one more shot on goal.

In the eighth-final round, Skelleftea overcame a one-goal deficit from the first leg on the road and won it at home, so Linkoping knew it was very important to win this game and take the lead up north. They got the first goal less than five-minutes in when Broc Little converted on a clear-cut breakaway, sliding the puck through Hanses' legs. Skelleftea tied it late in the opening period, however, when Sebastian Aho converted a nifty pass from Par Lindholm and beat Hogberg upstairs. 

Aho described, "I won the puck in our own zone, made a pass up to Sunken (Oscar Sundqvist) and actually didn't think anything other than just to follow up in the attack but I ended up getting a great pass by Par, so I just had to put the biscuit in the basket." 

There was only one more goal after that and it came with only 14 seconds remaining in the second period, when Sundqvist managed to bat home a bouncing puck in the crease for his second point of the game.

"It was quite fun to score a goal even if it was more like a soccer goal," Sundqvist joked afterward. "A few guys kicked around that puck but it was fun. Every goal counts. I was in the right place at the right time."

"I think we played good in the beginning, then they came out and took over in the second period," said Linkoping defenceman Jonas Junland. "A couple of bad penalties and we got off our game a little bit. Then they went up 2-1 and we had to play from behind and the puck didn’t bounce in."

Linkoping missed a chance to salvage at least a tie from their home game in the dying seconds of the third period when Jakub Vrana jumped on a rebound and had Hanses beaten but fired high.

"Against a good opponent we played a good road game," Skelleftea coach Hans Walsson. "We have a good score for the second game. Our goal before the game was to have a good score for the second game in Skelleftea for a chance to get to the semi-final, and that's where are we now."

Linkoping now know they really have their work cut out for them, needing a win in Skelleftea against a team that is especially stingy at home, but trailing by only a single goal, it is certainly within the realm of possibility.

"It’s not that bad to go to Skelleftea one goal down," said Junland. "It’s not two games but one long game. It feels good. We felt strong. They can lead the series and feel like they're comfortable. The pressure's on them, not on us!"

READ the Live Blog here | WATCH the highlights here

Preview

With yet another big third period, Skellefteå were able to push JYP to a series-deciding shootout on 11 November and managed to win the series 8–7 on aggregate by the skin of their teeth. NHL-drafted Oskar Sundqvist scored a late power-play goal and Pär Lindholm tied the game with just 18 seconds left to play. And once again, young Princeton University graduate Andrew Calof had a big hand in things, adding a goal and two assists.

At the same time a few hours south of Stockholm, yet another close thriller was decided by an SHL club, when Jacob Micflikier knocked in a loose puck in the slot to tie the game 2–2 against Sparta Prague with only two seconds to go. This dramatic goal afforded Linköping the series win, taking it ever so slightly 4–3, also on aggregate.

Now the two victors will face off against each other twice in the next leg of the event, thus on the 2 and 9 December. The two teams have met twice in SHL action, each winning on home ice. In their first meeting in Skellefteå, the team in black and gold just missed out on a shutout, winning 4–1 on the strength of a goal and two assists from Kirill Kabanov. The teams met again in Linkoping on 15 November, with Linköping prevailing 3–1 thanks to two goals in the first period from Sebastian Karlsson.

Linkoping's Little on facing Skelleftea: "Tuesday will be a big test"

Skelleftea D-man Sevc: "The level of the games is constantly increasing"

Closer look: Skellefteå AIK

(6-0-0-2, 18 points, 28:15)

Skellefteå currently top the SHL standings with 11 victories in the first 18 games and their CHL success to date has been no surprise. However, this expectation is a bit deceiving, because after their second straight title in the spring of 2014, many of the team’s established stars sought out what they felt were greener pastures. Joakim Lindström (2013–14 Swedish MVP) and Jimmie Ericsson, two of the club's top scorers, were among the first to leave. Other top players such as Oscar Möller, Pierre-Édouard Bellemare and popular Canadian Bud Holloway also headed off to better offers, and Bellemare has been getting ice time with the Philadelphia Flyers this year. In addition, important young studs Johan Alm, Petter Emanuelsson, Melker Karlsson, and Viktor Arvidsson all headed to North America for a shot at the NHL. Few teams can handle that type of loss.

The team now has a number of new heroes and they’ve been delivering at home and in league play. None has been more important in CHL play that 1991-born Pär Lindholm, who is leading the way offensively with 10 points (1+9) in eight games. He’s closely followed by team captain Erik Forsell (5+3=8 in seven games) and veteran Daniel Widing (2+5=7). The aforementioned Calof, playing his first season of pro hockey whatsoever, has also contributed four goals and six points in seven games. In total, 15 of the team’s players have scored at least one goal in CHL play.

Pär

Lindholm

1+9, +6

 

CRAMO Top Scorer: Lindholm had three points in the two-game series with JYP and now leads his team in points in CHL play. In the SHL, where he's a rookie, he has 14 points in his first 20 games, and quickly gaining confidence. The playmaking centre's favourite target is linemate Calof.

 

Martin

Sevc

0+2, +5

 

Top Defenceman: Skellefteå are not shallow on the back end, and one of their top defencemen is Czech national team regular Martin Sevc. Not only is he able to contribute offensively, but he's physical and somebody who opposing forwards need to be aware of when crossing the blueline.

 

Markus

Svensson

93.75%

 

Goaltender: Netminding has been strong for Skellefteå so far with Markus Svensson performing well in the SHL. In the CHL, he notched 93.75% in three games played. He left early in game 2 vs JYP with an injury, but is expected back in time to start against Linköping.

 

Click here for team statistics.

Closer look: Linköping HC

(5-1-1-1, 18 points, 24:13)

For Linköping, the team underwent some big roster changes in the summer of 2014, having lost both Pär Arlbrandt and Simon Hjalmarsson, who played on the team's first line and scored a total 128 points (53 and 75, respectively) during the 2013-14 regular season. The new season has however shown that they’ve been more than just replaced through the additions of Jeff Taffe (4+6=10), Broc Little (3+5=8), and Jackob Micflikier (3+5=8), who lead the team in scoring in both the SHL and CHL. Also interesting has been the play of Washington Capitals 2014 first round pick Jakub Vrána, who has four points (1+3) in five games since returning from the Caps' camp. 

The international success comes as little surprise to followers of the team. Since 2004 Linköping have only missed the playoffs once, in 2012, but the club hasn’t been able to be all that successful once the playoffs swung around. They reached the finals in back-to-back years in 2007 and 2008, losing both times. These are the best finishes the team has had to date. Following the second finals appearance in 2008, the team did manage to win its first Nordic Trophy and they’d surely like to add to that hardware with a CHL championship this season.

Jeff

Taffe

4+6, +4

 

CRAMO Top Scorer: With speed and the way he finds the open spaces, Taffe is always a threat. Good skating, good vision on the ice and dangerous passes make him one to watch, and he has four goals and six assists in the CHL so far. He's the primary playmaker on the line with snipers Little and Micflikier, whom he set up for the series-winner vs Sparta.

 

Magnus 

Johansson

0+4, +4

 

Top Defenceman: Linköping did not get any goals from the defence during the group stage and don't get a lot of offence from the back end in general, but they do have some who are good with the puck. Jonas Junland leads the team in the SHL, while Magnus Johansson has four assists in the CHL and is a plus-4.

 

David 

Rautio

93.83%

 

Top Goaltender: Marcus Hogberg has played more CHL minutes and is at 93.75%, while David Rautio recorded 93.83% in his three games to date. The pair rotated early on in the SHL, but Rautio has been the man of late, and has slightly better numbers. There's a good chance we'll see both goalies vs Skellefteå as we did vs Sparta.

 

Click here for team statistics.