Oskarshamn was whipped to win – otherwise they would have left the SHL. And it started well in the sixth game in front of the home fans when David Quenneville knocked in 1-0 on the power play after 9.45.
HV71 did equalize at 1-1, but at the end of the first period, HV defender Anton Strålman suffered a fatal sequence.
Strålman was going to clear the puck out of his own zone, but the attempt failed and the puck ended up right in the gap of Hampus Karlsson who thanked and received and made it 2-1.
See the situation in the player above.
– Of course you are disappointed. We don’t get to the level we want, but it’s a long series where there are two teams that are at war and fighting, says Anton Strålman to SVT Sport.
HV coach Johan Lindbom was not gracious in his criticism.
– It is simply too bad. We lose every close match, we don’t skate, we have to do everything, says HV’s coach Johan Lindbom in TV4 Play after the first period.
Russians in Jönköping are waiting
There was some drama in the third period. Oskarshamn had a 3-1 lead but André Petersson reduced. The home team still managed to hold on and win 4-2 after scoring in an empty net and have leveled the matches at 3-3.
– It’s not often you get to play match seven, it should be magical. We have had such good support from the crowd here all season and they will support us on Friday as well, says 4-2 goalscorer Viktor Lodin in TV4 Play.
Now a thriller awaits in Jönköping between the teams on Good Friday, where the winner plays in the SHL next season and the loser in the Hockeyallsvenskan.