In Saturday's 52nd and final regular season round, it was mainly around the cutoff line, which marks the six teams that would advance directly to the quarterfinals, that there was drama.
The four teams in positions 5–8 were all on 77 points heading into the final matches. Last year's finalist Brynäs (5th going into the final round) was behind for much of the match against bottom team HV71 and was below the quarter-final mark for a while. But the Gävle team took the match to extra time and finished sixth in the table, behind Färjestad who defeated reigning champions Luleå 3–1 away.
HV71 won 4–3 after extra time away against Brynäs. The extra point lifted the team from second to third in the table and gives them home-field advantage against Leksand in the relegation play-offs.
Already clear series winners Skellefteå defeated ninth-placed Djurgården 3–2 away in the final round and landed on 108 points, seven ahead of second-placed Frölunda, who defeated eighth-placed Malmö 4–1 at home.
Linköping and Timrå finished eleventh and twelfth respectively in the SHL and have finished playing for the season.
+ Swedish Championship playoffs
The best-of-three round of 16 matches will be played on Tuesday, Thursday and possibly Saturday next week. The highest-ranked team has home-field advantage and plays away–home, with a possible third match at home.
Luleå (7th in the regular season)–Örebro (10th)
Malmö (8th)–Djurgården (9th)
The quarterfinals start the following week and are decided in a best-of-seven match format with the highest-ranked teams playing home–home–away–away, or possibly home–away–home.
March 23: Skellefteå (1st)–lowest ranked round of 16 winner, Frölunda (2nd in the regular season)–highest ranked round of 16 winner.
March 24: Växjö (3rd)–Brynäs (6th), Rögle (4th)–Färjestad (5th).
The semi-finals and finals are also played in best of seven games.
+ Relegation play-off
It starts on Wednesday and will be HV71 (13th)–Leksand (14th).
The qualifying matches will be decided in a best-of-seven series, with team 13, HV71, starting with two home matches.
Match dates: March 18, 20, 22, 24, possibly March 27, 29 and 31.
