Växjö against HV71 never developed into one of the biggest rivalries for the SHL.
But it’s not too late.
The evening meeting turned as dramatic as a gang of lard in a hot cast-iron skillet.
Big Brother won this time too.
Växjö was able to win a long battle after defender Lukas Bengtsson scored it 5-4 in extra time.
But that’s what I felt sorry for HV71 in this situation, who wholeheartedly sacrificed themselves at the end of the game and Andre Pettersson put a penalty inside the post earlier in extra time.
Jönköping then fought back a five-minute power play, when Emil Andrae went on five minutes to check with 3.20 left to play in normal time and then 1.50 remaining in game three for four in overtime.
But Växjö is the league leader for a reason.
They have cool brains and a confidence that goes with the table setting.
But I thank you for this Småland show.
He had everything a competitive must have.
I wouldn’t call it a derby, because my personal record between Jönköping and Väckshaw is an hour and a half without risking a driver’s license and has the margin to avoid moose and wild boar.
But we’re still talking about two of the biggest dynasties of the 2000s who together have played a total of seven Småland club golds.
one-third of each distribution.
Redraw the map of Småland
It is also the best hockey region in Sweden and has long overtaken Stockholm. In the largest region of the country there is not a single SHL team at present.
Småland has three.
But it’s a hockey scene where the HV71 was absolutely dominant, before rookie Växjö moved to the SHL for the 2011-12 season.
Since then, they have redrawn the map of Småland, but without arousing the respect they deserve in the rest of Sweden for hockey.
Växjö is still seen as a football team, an artificial product created by millions of sponsors and a generous municipality.
But this thing with municipal support, I have different opinions on it.
Leksand has had the same argument year after year, but I think both municipalities have earned more than they spent.
The Lakers probably put Växjö on the map more than anything else, since the heyday of the Östers football team came to an end and Carolina Klüft retired as a seven-player.
Better than Stockholm, where the municipality does not raise the finger for elite hockey.
But it’s no secret that Växjö still freezes outside the vicinity.
It did not succeed in generating any interest in the rest of Sweden for hockey.
There, HV71 is still number one.
It’s hard to see them qualifying this spring
Not only because they have been in the SHL longer, but above all because they have profiles like Stefan Liv and Johan Danielsson.
Stefan Lev went straight into the heart of the entire hockey nation and the beloved HV71 followed suit.
Even if the wallet is as thick as Växjö, it is seen as more authentic and has more ability to take care of its own products.
The biggest name Växjö has produced is coach Sam Hallam, but he’s from Stockholm and has returned to the capital as the new captain of the national team.
Oh, okay.
Enough about that.
The entertainment was top notch in this match and Jurgen Johnson is still Coach of the Year right there in the booth.
But I think the HV71 also brought a lot of self-confidence to its home in Jönköping.
They showed how strong they are and the only point they got got them over the playoff line again and past Oskarshamn.
And I’m having a hard time seeing them qualify later this spring.
Most surprising of the evening was Lulea’s home win over Färjestad.
A war for positions ended 1-0 at Norbottoms after Leo Komarov scored a numerical advantage early in the third period.
This means that the Finn leads the indoor scoring league in Luleå with his seven goals, but that probably says more about Luleå’s lack of goalscorers than Komarov’s.
But Lulea are now on two straight victories after a 4-0 home run against Malmö the last time they played.
It set the stage for a quiet Christmas in Lulea, even if they still had Örebro sparkling on the Tuesday before handing out the applause.
Örebro, who beat Leksand 6-3 at home this evening.
In Saturday’s early game Skellefteå cleaned Oskarshamn with a score of 4-0.
I can’t help but admire this Skellefteå, who has won thirteen straight matches now.
The last time the team lost was away to Växjö and that could be an indication of SC’s upcoming final.
If they occupy the first and second places in the table, then only they can meet.
I’m not saying it’s going to be like this, but coming into the next Christmas break, these are the two best teams in the series.
And Skellefteå is the most interesting of the series.
If hockey is entertainment, which I think it should be, then the western bottoms are the ones worth accepting.