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Joel Lundqvist has been suspended for three games and his career could be over.
forward captain.
But suddenly the teammates have everything to play for.
It’s all for Joel.
It’s entirely up to them if their captain gets the bye he deserves now that he can play in Round 2 of the SC Final at the earliest.
I can see that as a small advantage for the Gothenburg side who have lost a 2-1 lead in matches and where the season could really come to an end on Monday night in Scandinavia.
It seems Frölunda has suddenly got something to play for.
Then the question is whether this is sufficient.
If I’m honest, I don’t think so against a Växjö side who have stepped up in the last two games and played almost flawless defensively.
There was not much entertainment and no more hockey coaches than general courtship.
The last three matches finished 0–1, 2–0 and 3–2 with Växjö’s numbers first in a play-off that was generally low in terms of goals.
While Erling Haaland averages more than one goal per game at Manchester City, nobody reaches half of his World Cup figures.
It wasn’t a surprise
Speaking of the old football classic Lars “Laban” Arnesson comments that “If you want to see goals, go for hockey”.
Joel Lundqvist was never a great goalscorer, but he had other qualities that made him a legend in Frolanda.
His leadership qualities, of course, his physical play and his well-developed goalscoring skills.
He has won more than 60 percent of his draws to date in the playoffs and leads that discipline in the regular season with 60.46 percent of his draws.
Timrå’s Robin Hansel finished second with a score of 57.34 putting Joel ahead.
Then we have the ability to strike in the melee game.
He is sixth in the league playoffs with 22 sacks and never wavers when given the opportunity.
Now this 22nd encounter with Robert Rosen may be his last.
Joel Lundqvist’s suspension came as no surprise.
Not even to himself.
It was visible in full body language after he pushed Rosen up into a plexit and took all the force into his head.
There was no overly high tackle speed and Rosen was able to play.
But there are no excuses yet.
Not at a time when many careers ended after head treatments it gave in many cases but for life.
Now Joel’s career is far from over.
not yet.
Two jerseys can be rolled up
Although most things indicate he’s playing his last game, his teammates have been given a new challenge, a new drive to elevate themselves and Frölunda.
If they succeed, they can give their leader the farewell they deserve and into the new SM finale.
Otherwise, he’ll be on the spot in Scandinavia tomorrow and end up beating Jurgen Johnson’s cold gang, so I guess he’ll be out on the ice afterward and be thanked.
Then he comes. Of course, it would be an even greater tribute when he raised his shirt to the ceiling, just like his brother Henrik did at Madison Square Garden.
But Henrik Lundqvist is not affiliated with Frölunda’s retired shirt gallery.
The club’s standards for raising the shirt are strict and only seven players have ever achieved it.
Joel will be the eighth.
Henrik Lundqvist has been lauded in Scandinavia, but he hasn’t passed the jersey-lifting criteria.
Joel did it with so much flair he could lift two shirts.
Twenty seasons on the club, four gold medals, four CHL titles and three World Cup titles with Tre Kronor.
And I think he’ll get some club jobs in the future too, even if he deserves a day off or two.
But as I said.
It’s not entirely out of the question that he’ll play some more games before it’s over.
The difference is that he can’t influence the matter himself anymore.