It was an all-Swedish battle in the Champions Hockey League Quarter-Finals, but Skellefteå AIK would come up on top in the opening clash between the two SHL heavyweights at the Skellefteå Kraft Arena. 

The opening stanza saw Frölunda Gothenburg on the penalty kill early after Max Friberg was penalised for charging. Skellefteå tried to take advantage of the moment, testing Lars Johansson, but didn't find an opening in the net.

The team from Gothenburg got their own powerplay opportunity thanks to a hooking call on defenceman Axel Sandin-Pellika, but their attempt was swallowed up in the chest of netminder Linus Söderström. A second powerplay would follow for the hosts, making it a 4-on-4 briefly. Nicklas Lasu caught a short-handed break sending a backhander high-up on Söderström but was ultimately denied.

A second powerplay opportunity came Frölunda's way but didn't go to plan. In a spectacular unfolding of events, Skelleftå forward Andreas Wingerli caught a breakaway but was taken down on the way to the net, proceeded by a Frölunda player who careered into the netminder, along with the puck. After video review, a goal was called making it 1-0 for the hosts. Tom Kühnhackl nearly made it two in the closing minutes of the period following a short-handed break of his own but fell short.

With the period intermission done, and the hosts with a narrow lead, netminders (and nets) were dislodged, while boards were flexed as both teams upped their physicality on the ice. Skellefteå's top scorer Rickard Hugg almost extended the lead for his side, but his shot ricocheted off the post.

A third powerplay to Skellefteå saw a peppering on Johansson, but the 35-year-old netminder stonewalled the hosts to keep his side in the game. Frölunda weren't without chances, but the slot was filled with black and yellow jerseys leaving few open shooting lanes, and what reached the net was covered by Söderstrom.

The second period would end a scoreless affair for both sides, with Skellefteå slightly outshooting the visitors, but Frölunda dominating on face-offs.

The pressure was on Frölunda in the third period, but converting was a challenge. Forwards Jan Mursak and Jere Innala had two of the best chances of the night to equalise but couldn't squeeze the puck past a flawless Söderstrom who was on fire.

With time running low, and Skellefteå pressing to extend their lead, Johansson fended off a spate of attempts, but his side were unable to get on the scoreboard, giving Skellefteå their eighth consecutive win, and a vital one-goal lead on aggregate heading into next week's Return Game.