No deficit seems too difficult for Rögle. After making Swedish ice hockey history in the quarter-finals against Färjestad, when they were the first team to turn a 0–3 deficit into a 4–3 victory, they produced a condensed version of that comeback in the first semi-final.
Lost a three-goal lead
When Brian Cooper sent the home team Växjö 3–0 up after just half of Wednesday's match had been played, things looked bleak for Rögle. But the comeback came.
In just over five minutes, with a goal each, Lubos Horky, Daniel Zaar and Karson Kuhlman ensured that the match was tied before the period was over.
For Daniel Zaar, it didn't come as a surprise.
It didn't feel really fair with Växjö's management, and we know that if we keep working, the bounces will go our way too. So it was nice, Zaar said to TV4 Play before the third period.
Goals in an empty box
The turnaround was completed just over six minutes into the final period, when Anton Bengtsson flicked in a goal to make it 4–3 for Rögle. Växjö pulled their goalkeeper in the final minutes to try to equalize, but instead Karson Kuhlman countered to make it 5–3.
"We have a lot of faith in the way we play. We work our way into the game, get back from 1–3 and get energy from that. And then we just roll on," Anton Bengtsson said to TV4 Play.
The semi-final series will be decided in a best-of-seven games. The next meeting, on Friday, will also be played in Växjö.
