AIK had a decisive ball in the sixth of seven matches against Bik Karlskoga.
Then the Stockholm team decided the match series at a sold-out Hovet, after a 2-1 win.
It's hard to describe what you feel. We've been fighting like animals in two match series, and even though people on the outside never believed in us, we've always believed in ourselves. We're so damn strong, and we're not done here, says the decisive goal scorer Oscar Nord to TV4 Play.
The opponent in the final will be determined on Saturday, when Djurgården meets Södertälje in a last and decisive match.
All three goals in the match came during powerplay in the first period.
Karlskoga started the goal scoring through Jack Berglund, but the home team could turn it around after goals by Lukas Zetterberg and Oscar Nord.
Period two and three were both goalless, but they didn't lack excitement or scoring opportunities. Karlskoga had opportunities to equalize, but AIK can thank goalkeeper Victor Brattström that the equalization never came.
I'm so damn happy. Now I'm swearing on TV, now I'll get crap from mom too. But I'm so sickly happy that we're here as winners. Karlskoga deserves a big praise, they gave us a hell of a fight all the way in. It'll be nice to have a few days' rest now, then it's just on again, says Nord.
It's the first time AIK reaches the final in Hockeyallsvenskan since the new playoff format was introduced in 2020. The winner gets a spot in SHL next season.
