The atmosphere of the Finals was in Lulea when Skelleftea arrived thirteen miles to the south.
The Battle of Norland has become a classic.
Skellefteå won this time – 3-2 after penalties – and turned around after six straight defeats.
But the best in Norland?
No, this team is called Timrå.
Yes, Norland is a broad concept and an exotic part of the country that stretches all the way all the way down to Gastrikland.
This also makes the Brenas a Nordic team.
The team that’s been completely dominant in SM Gold over the years.
Yes, it took until 1978 before another Nordic team won the SM Gold Medal.
That was when Hardy Hardy, Martin Carlson and Krupp took Lundberg’s Skelleftea all the way.
But there is something that connects Norland and hockey in the soul of the Swedish people.
For me, the connection was Kiruna and all the big players the mining town produced in the ’60s and ’70s with Brynäs coils like Tord Lundström and the Börje and Stig Salming brothers.
Villains are strong, strong, powerful who never give up.
Today, Jonathan Bodas is perhaps the closest.
Vindsnabbe Wingerli
He also grew up in Kiruna, but like everyone else he grew to be a star at another club.
Tonight he also contributed his scoring pass to Andras Wingerley in a four-to-five match in the first period.
2-1 to Skellefteå that came after the net goal blast and three goals in exactly three minutes.
First, Linus Fröberg had to stand absolutely clean in front of Gustaf Lindwall and lead the home team 1-0 after 6.47, after a Pontus Själen shot.
Then a quick equalizer, when Philip Sandberg went clean and scored the equalizer in a five-for-four game after 8.24.
Then the stormy Wingerley goal after 9.47 with another player on the ice.
Then it took until the third inning before the next goal came.
Jack Connolly equalized for Lulio midway through the third game and felt fair at the end.
And when it finally came to penalties, Skellefteå was the clear favorite.
Lulia went to penalty shootouts twice earlier this season and lost both, underscoring just how much the team lacks a sharpshooter.
Now Simon Robertson decided straight from the first penalty and goalkeeper Gustav Lindwall took revenge on the blunder at home against Växjö last time, when he allowed a shot from the middle.
But none of last year’s greats, Skellefteå or Luleå, are the best in Norland.
Timrå tops the showdown table, despite losing on penalties and 3-4 away to Brynäs.
The middle fillers also played one game less each than Luleå and Brynäs and two less than Skellefteå.
They have nothing to be ashamed of.
The first series of acute SHL
But the Tour player is of course superior to Patrick Karlqvist in Oskarshamn.
Talk about a champ, when Småland’s players sustained losses and turned around and beat Rögle 6-5 in overtime.
He played up to all six goals and touched a pass record in one game and the same in SHL.
Only Håkan Södergren and Mats Näslund have done this before.
So amazing because Karlkvist is the best scorer in the SHL and usually scores goals himself.
A late equalizer for Czech Heink Zohorna to make it 5-5 and the extra-time win saw Oskarshamn hand the jumbo spot to HV71, who squandered a 2-0 home lead to Frölunda and lost on penalties.
But I wonder if reality hasn’t caught up with Oskarshamen, who has had hopeless difficulty winning games full-time, even though they have the steepest first series of the SHL.
But you can never count the people of Småland, who have risen up many times in the past.
At least last year, when they engaged in a long race and forced the group winner Rogley into the decisive seventh appearance in the quarter-finals.
But with Ante Sumela at the top of the scoring league (two goals and one assist) and Karlqvist as the new third, Oskarshamn should be at the top of the standings.
But the huge return and the sharp first SHL streak.
Yes, talk about an equal game.
Six of the seven matches went to extra time and penalties and that sounds like some sort of record in one round.
Örebro was the only one to win full time and now after their 3-1 host over Växjö.