First, Frölunda's hot teenager Ivar Stenberg scored 4–2 after 8.44 of the third period away against Luleå. It was the 17-year-old's third full hit in this year's SM-finals.
Teammate Max Friberg is almost twice as old, but is just as goal-prone at the moment. 31 seconds after Stenberg's goal, the 32-year-old sent in the season's third playoff goal to 5–2, which also became the final result.
It's going really well. I have to take advantage of the time when it's going well, says Ivar Stenberg to TV4 Play.
Equalled record
Stenberg has scored a total of five points in eight playoff matches, which according to TV4 is an equalled record in the playoffs for a player before their 18th birthday. He shares the record with former Frölunda defender Rasmus Dahlin – now a celebrated star in the NHL – who scored five points in 14 matches in 2017.
It was cool to hear, but now it's just about winning and focusing on getting better for every match that goes, says Stenberg, who turns 18 in September.
Luleå's assistant coach Henrik Stridh says to TV4 that it was a "tough loss".
The match today is better than last time, but then we won and now we lost. Hockey is not always logical, says Stridh.
Last Saturday, Luleå won with 4–2, but now the Norrbotten team was down 0–3 at the start of the third period.
After 5.47 of the first period, Nicklas Lasu could give the Gothenburg team the lead – in numerical superiority. After 13.27, Linus Högberg freely spun in the offensive zone and sent in 2–0 in the net behind Luleå goalkeeper Matteaus Ward.
It was just Högberg who was sitting out a penalty when Frölunda took the lead.
It was a good penalty to take, says Linus Högberg to TV4 and laughs.
Only 1.29 into the second period, the away team extended their lead to 3–0 through Mikael Rouhomaa, who got a goalkeeper return.
1–1 in matches
Luleå did not give up. First, Pontus Sjölin reduced to 1–3 after just over five minutes and after 7.28, David Lilja scored Luleå's second goal – on a finish from just Sjölin.
Closer did Luleå not get, and for example forward Pontus Andreasson had to leave the ice goalless after having scored in six straight playoff matches.
The Stenberg/Friberg duo killed the excitement and now it's 1–1 in the semifinal series, which continues with two straight matches in Gothenburg.
