Södertälje SK advanced to the HockeyAllsvenskan semifinals by edging Kalmar HC 1-0 in game seven of their quarterfinal series. Kalmar goaltender Jacob Crespin inadvertently tapped in a shot from SSK defenseman Filip Windlert with under three minutes left in the third period. The win sets up a semifinal matchup against Björklöven starting Tuesday in Umeå.
The decisive moment came in a scoreless game when SSK's Filip Windlert fired a shot toward the net, and Kalmar's Jacob Crespin deflected it past himself, as commentator Stefan Klemetz called out, 'Han tappar in den,' with expert Per Svartvadet adding, 'Han styr in den själv.' Crespin appeared distraught, but teammates quickly supported him. Kalmar pulled the goaltender for a six-on-five advantage but could not equalize, ending their season as the regular-season runners-up. Södertälje now faces Björklöven, while the other semifinal pits BIK Karlskoga against Modo starting Wednesday in Nobelhallen. Kalmar coach Viktor Tuurala called the early playoff exit a 'misslyckande' despite progress from last season, noting small margins in the tight series. 'Oerhört tungt. Vi ger det en jäkligt bra chans idag,' Tuurala said in a TV4 interview, holding back tears when asked about his future, replying it would be clear in a few days. Rumors link him to AIK. Captain Henrik Nilsson, with an expiring contract, pledged to stay. 'Ja, jag blir kvar här. Jag ska bara fixa till foten och sedan kör vi,' he told Barometern-OT, confirming upcoming foot surgery that will sideline him for months. Nilsson reflected on the game: 'Det kändes som att det kunde gå åt vilket håll som helst.' The series went the full seven games after Kalmar regained two key forwards, George Diaco and Liam Hawel, but still lacked defensemen Peter DiLiberatore and Scott Walford.
