“We played a very solid game, and most importantly, we scored goals. That’s something we’ve been missing in the last two games, but today the damn puck just had to go in,” says Djurgården forward Dick Axelsson.
“There were a lot of strange goals this time, but as they say—good things happen when you get the puck on net.”
Axelsson is still sweaty after the intense game, but it’s clear how excited he is about the upcoming seventh semifinal. He didn’t register a goal himself in the sixth game, but as so often, he was still at the center of Thursday night’s heated match. He’s especially good at stirring things up on the ice.
“My job description says I’m supposed to be a nasty bastard out there on the ice and just go for it,” says Dick Axelsson with a smile.
“But I’d say I’ve mellowed with age,” continues the 38-year-old.
The atmosphere at Scaniarinken in Södertälje was electric ahead of the game.
The opportunity to secure a spot in the finals of the HockeyAllsvenskan playoffs—and to do so by knocking out pre-tournament favorite Djurgården—generated a lot of interest.
For the home team Södertälje SK, this was a game full of opportunity. A win would have secured their place in the finals.
If they lost, they’d get another chance on Saturday.
For Djurgården, the situation was different. It was a do-or-die game—they had to win. A loss would have ended their dreams of playing in the SHL next season and turned the entire season into a failure.
So the pressure was heavy on the Djurgården players—but they handled it perfectly.
Thanks to a wild second period, where Djurgården scored five goals and Södertälje fell apart, they saved the match point and tied the series at 3–3.
Now a seventh and decisive match awaits at Hovet on Saturday night. All we know is that this is a series full of twists and turns—anything can happen in that game.
“Game seven is going to be really fun. A lot of players will have the chance to become heroes,” says Dick Axelsson.
How eager are you to be the hero yourself?
“I’ll let the younger guys take care of that,” says Axelsson with another smile.
He’s asked about his own experience with a seventh and deciding match and pauses for a moment before answering:
“I’m not even sure I’ve played in one. If I have, it’s not something I remember with my ‘old-man memory’.”
The home team Södertälje actually got a perfect start to Thursday night’s match. Just over two minutes in, Hampus Harlestam made it 1–0 after Djurgården goalie Hugo Hävelid failed to control a rebound, leaving it right in front of him.
But the visitors got a chance to get back into the game when Södertälje’s Evan Weinger received a match penalty in the ninth minute for a hit to the head. A move that turned out to be a mistake in many ways.
That unnecessary hit became Djurgården’s way into the match, as they were given a five-minute power play. However, their power play was ineffective, and for a long time it looked like they wouldn’t score.
But with 14 seconds left, the equalizing goal came—with a bit of luck—as 18-year-old Victor Eklund’s puck deflected off a Södertälje skate and into the net.
It was in the second period, though, that everything happened.
After failing to get past Södertälje’s talented goalie Frans Tuohimaa in the previous two games, Djurgården started the period by scoring three goals in less than three minutes.
The first goal came just 15 seconds in, scored by Albin Grewe. Tyler Kelleher followed up with the 3–1 goal, and 17-year-old Anton Frondell made it 4–1. At that point, only two minutes and 40 seconds of the second period had passed.
A shock start that briefly silenced the home crowd. It was as if they needed a moment to grasp what had just happened.
Soon, though, the arena roared again, and when Albin Carlsson cut the deficit to 4–2 midway through the period, a glimmer of hope emerged.
That hope was quickly extinguished when Fredric Weigel made it 5–2, and Edvin Hammarlund soon after added 6–2.
After that period, the game felt decided, even though the crowd got to see a few more goals in the third period.
After Weigel’s 5–2 goal, Frans Tuohimaa left the net and was replaced by Oliver Håkansson. A reminder of how quickly things can change in hockey, and how thin the line is between hero and scapegoat.
Tuohimaa, who had been the hero in both the fourth and fifth semifinals, was visibly shaky on this night and arguably should have stopped at least two of the five goals he let in.
“He’s definitely been good, but today we added some extra damn grit,” says Dick Axelsson about Tuohimaa.
“Also, credit to Södertälje as a team. They’ve blocked a lot of shots, and we haven’t always been accurate enough or managed to get through them,” he adds.
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