Game 2
Apart from having the "extra man" in terms of the partisan home crowd, Skellefteå AIK were able to field a team including Jonathan Pudas. The back, who on average has the most ice time in the whole team, played only four minutes in the first game due to an undisclosed injury sustained just before puck drop.
However, it was as business as usual in Växjö Lakers and the same names proved their status and this season's playoff hockey players par excellence.
It was Elias Pettersson who perhaps shone brightest in the first period. Receiving the puck from Rosén who had driven into the zone at speed. The 19 year old had the sense to pause long enough to see his best option was to sling the puck back to Daniel Rahimi who had come in fresh from the bench into the oceans of space left in Rosén's wake. The defenseman smashed the puck into the top right corner leaving Joni Ortio helpless in goal.
Pettersson took the Lakers into a 2-0 lead when he skillful turned in Rosén's shot - that after having been checked into the side wall and cross checked in front of goal seconds before finding the net.
At the back Viktor Andrén was an immovable rock, especially in the second period which was one of Skellefteå best in the series so far. Many chances, but crucially no goals, although there were a number of power play opportunities as Brendan Shinnimin (VLA) and Jimmie Ericsson (SKE), among others, went for collecting Penalty Minutes instead of scoring goals.
But the third period belonged to the Lakers and most of all, Robert Rosén who scored twice, once after only 14 seconds, and secondly at 4:34 closing off immediately any thought of a comeback for Skellefteå. That meant Rosén picked up 4 points (2+2) in just this one game. Even a missed penalty by Andrew Calof couldn't dampen the Lakers spirits as they ran out 4-0 victors by the final whistle.
Skellefteå AIK will need to find something very special if they are defy the pundits and even get close to winning a game, let alone the series, as momentum lies firmly in the 2014/5 champions side.
@ABritOnThinIce1
