There was no immediate impact for Challe in HV71.
There was another stinging loss away to Färjestad, who won the classic encounter 3-1.
And if HV71 can’t beat a badly damaged Färjestad team, I wonder how many games they’ll win.
And they must win a lot.
There was a time when Swedish hockey was completely dominated by Färjestad and HV71.
Between 2008 and 2011, they shared all four of SM’s medals.
The audience in Karlstad did not seem to have forgotten that time.
Sold out at the Löfbergs Arena (8250) it’s dazzling on a Saturday night in January shaken by soaring electricity bills with just over a week’s payment.
The House of Varmlander have had their hard years, but they have not come close to suffering.
When they finished eighth in the regular season in the 2020-21 winter, it was their worst position in 27 years.
He lost his identity
But they are back as champions this spring.
Färjestad never lost its identity.
I think the HV71 did it.
They were lost in the ever-growing shortage of their own products and had become too much of a Foreign Legion.
Nearly half of the squad are import players from the USA, Finland, Canada, Denmark and the Czech Republic, and sporting director Kent “Nobin” Norberg was badly hit in the transfer market.
Although a large portfolio.
For comparison, Färjestad has three import players.
Goalkeeper Matt Tomkins, striker Remy Ellie and Finnish defender Phil Boca.
I think it’s the right way to go, even if it’s easy to point out league leaders Växjö with nearly as many imports.
But there, sporting director Henrik Evertsson showed a much better fingertip feel than Nobben.
The question can still occur
Jörgen Jönsson has also managed to create the SHL’s most efficient team machine, while Tommy Samuelsson’s HV71 has only run on a single cylinder so far.
Imports are always a balancing act, but in the long run I think it helps to not have too many players from outside.
Now I wouldn’t say it was done for the HV71.
The question can still occur.
But getting close to that stage if Smålands is to climb over the qualification line.
Now there is absolutely nothing to suggest a shift.
HV71 is in bad shape and has only won one of its last ten matches.
In the form table over the last ten matches, they are second to last, just as in the table and with a score of six points. Only one more than the other Malmö.
The population of Småland had a positive trend at the end of November and the beginning of December.
In seven matches from November 19 to December 3, they won five out of seven matches and had 15 points.
It coincided with the return of Niklas Hilmarsson as captain and I thought it was the beginning of the upswing.
But since losing at home to Örebro on 8 December, things are going downhill again.
After Brennas’ back-to-back and clear 2-0 victories against Örebro on Saturday night, Lulea is the closest to crossing the line after losing at home against Växjö (1-3).
There, HV71 has eight points and has played one game less.
But I struggle to see that they should have Lulia behind them at the final table.
It’s like the wrong team.
But the talk on behalf of the three teams in the last places is the lack of a goal.
Only a new qualification can save the high voltage
It’s been an eternal train in Luleå, but the truth is that HV71 and Malmö have exactly the same problem.
These are the only three remaining 1970s teams.
The forward scored 76 goals for Malmo, Lulea 77 and HV71 79.
It doesn’t work out, but while Luleå and Malmö are lacking in goalscorers, HV71 has both Andre Pettersson and Fredrik Forsberg.
They also delivered it decently.
The problem is that nobody does.
Therefore, it appears that only a new qualifier can provide HV71 in SHL.
That’s how bad it is.