Defence: Hultström and Garrison (DIF) vs Sigalet and Genoway (FHC)
Djurgården's team is built primarily on attack with the aim of outscoring their opponents whilst relying on the in-form Reideborn to keep the score down at the back.
Given that, a great deal of weight still relies on 26 year old, Linus Hultström (above) and 34 year old Jason Garrison to keep Frölunda's forwards away from goal scoring opportunities. These two will be clocking the most ice time even if they are not the ones dishing out the big hits.
The younger Swede has played the last seven seasons in the SHL, first with Linköping HC and the last four with Djurgården. And like the test of his team is not goal shy with 0.43 Goal Per Game average.
In Garrison the Stockholm team brought in a player that covered a hole in their squad- a mature import player with 555 NHL games behind him who played in the Stanley Cup Final in 2015 for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Like Hultström he also can find the net.
Bossing it at the back for Frölunda are two superb Canadians who clock up the most ice time in Jonathan Sigalet (pictured) and Chay Genoway.
33 year old Sigalet was drafted by the Boston Bruins in 2006 and whilst only playing one game he played six seasons in the AHL before moving to the KHL for four years then to Sweden where he been since 2014/5.
Not a high scorer, he's a more traditional defenseman, good a reading the play and minimize goal scoring opportunities. In both 5 on 5 and the power play it is often Sigalet that leads the breakout from behind the net.
10 months younger than his teammate, Genoway's journey to his first season in the SHL and Frölunda's very similar. Although not drafted, he played one game for Minnesota Wild in 2011/2 which he still counts as a career highlight. Then went onto four seasons the AHL before also coming to Europe to play in the KHL. During that time he started to play in the national team culminating in collecting a bronze medal in last year's Pyeongchang Olympics.
At 5'8" he is a point scoring back with an average of just under a point every other game in the AHL, KHL and SHL. But despite being smaller than average he is not afraid to put his body on the line and even dropped the gloves in a CHL match against Vienna Capitals in their title winning run (see video).
Frölunda also have the resources to have brought in two more backs with NHL experience for the end of the season in 27 year old Canadian Brandon Gormley and 38 year old Swede David Printz.
So whilst all four backs are extremely competent, the Indians have better pure defensive players which will be needed to break down the Djurgården attack.
Advantage: Frölunda
@ABritOnThinIce1
