Larsson is about to become a father and was not included in Brynäs' lineup for Friday's match. It went well anyway for SHL's table leader, who won 3–2 at home and went up to 3–2 in matches in the best of seven.
It's clear that we miss him, he has been an important player for us this year. But he has more important things to attend to today, said Brynäs' Jakob Silfverberg to TV4 Play during one of the intermissions.
Malmö, ninth in SHL, has proven to be a tough nut to crack in the quarterfinals. Brynäs went up 2–0 in matches, but after two straight Malmö wins, the Gävle team was under pressure.
Not even the fifth quarterfinal match was an easy ride for Brynäs, despite an early lead and even an extension to 2–0 at the beginning of the second period. Malmö's Carl Persson pressed in a reduction after more than half the match had been played, and then the pendulum began to swing in the visitors' favor.
It's pretty tight. But after they score that goal, it's a bit of an advantage for them, so it was important to get a power play and then push it through, said Brynäs' Jakob Silfverberg.
A few minutes earlier, Silfverberg had pushed through the important 3–1 to Brynäs in numerical superiority. It would prove to be the match-deciding goal.
Carl Persson reduced again in the third period, but Brynäs held out. On Sunday, in Malmö, the semifinal spot can be secured.
