Thank God for bottom battles.
Every ride is a drama and it feels like HV71 and Brynäs have already ended up in a new bout of anxiety.
But there are fifteen games left to play.
They were the biggest losers of the night, as they both narrowly fell home.
HV71 against Leksand with 3-2 and Brynäs against Timrå with 4-3.
It stings losses because every point can decide whether or not it qualifies.
Now there are five points between the two teams and the hosts have become the new Lulea.
After all, HV71 and Brynäs met in the concern’s first historic qualification, as the last two SHL teams settled to hold out.
It’s only been two years.
Now the risk is so small that both teams will end up dead again, but one team seems pre-determined to experience a new sleepless downward drama.
Then I chose to count Malmö even though Skåne thrashed Färjestad 4-0 this evening and so far Karl Soderbergh has scored twice.
Even if they participate in a long race, it is unlikely that they will have two teams behind them when it is all over.
Do not break out of fate matches
Of course, you can’t count a team like Luleå, but the crisis has paused in Norrbotten after a 1-0 at home against Rogl.
But there is no rest from the matches of fate now.
HV71 meets Lulea already on Saturday and it will be another six-point match.
A win after Smålands full time and six points separated the two teams.
Lolio wins and they gain a largely unassailable twelve-point lead.
Then I also think they can forget about qualifying and start looking up the table.
Yes, actually I should have taken part in the only summit meeting in the evening between Skelleftea and Varjestad this Thursday.
But we humans tend to be drawn to drama and the struggle for survival.
This drama is about the playoff streak.
And it amazes me how lucky we must be to be able to keep going up and down, when some clubs tried to close the SHL ten years ago.
It’s been a long time now, but imagine what a closed SHL was like.
Malmö might have already given up and sold or loaned out some of their best players to get some money.
The entire bottom battle was icy cold.
Kent “Nobin” Norberg was more thinking about building a new team for next season than the one he is playing now.
It’s a struggle
Now it’s a battle every round for the teams involved, the agony that’s already begun.
But I would like to have more drama and let the first in hockey, allsvenskan go up immediately and let another team qualify.
I’ve always thought so.
The SHL would benefit from a bit more turnover, especially when crowd teams like Modo, Björklöven and Djurgården play in Allsvenskan.
Now there are too many teams in the Premier League that nobody cares about outside the municipality.
That without taking anything from anyone.
Everyone who plays in the SHL has earned it.
Not least is Oskarshamn, which has also managed to create national interest in just a few seasons.
Everyone loves an underdog and especially when they put on a show of goals almost every time they play.
And Oskarshamn can probably cancel another season in the SHL after an impressive 5-1 away win over Örebro.
I didn’t expect it, but the magic of Oskarshamn is that anything can happen when they’re on the ice.
Frölunda appears to be the new Färjestad, as the damage continues to accumulate.
Now it was Joel Lundqvist who had to step down since Jonathan Johnson ended up over his outstretched right leg after the equaliser.
Linköping’s 1-0 home win against league leaders Växjö was still the highlight of the evening.
The second match of the evening, which ended with a score of 1-0.
Växjö was a nightmare for the Large Hadron Collider at the Saab Arena.
Now the Ostrogoths were taken away, far from the battle over the qualifying line.
It is no longer a potential lifeline.
