Leksand secured a vital 4-3 victory over relegation rivals HV71 in a dramatic SHL match at Tegera Arena. After racing to a 3-0 first-period lead, Leksand withstood HV71's stunning comeback to tie 3-3 through two periods before Max Veronneau's late power-play goal sealed a sixth win in seven games, propelling them ahead in the survival fight.
The SHL showdown between Leksand and HV71 delivered high drama, with Leksand building on recent form to overtake their relegation foes. Leksand dominated the first period at Tegera Arena, surging to 3-0: Gabriel Fortier opened on Wiktor Nilsson's rebound, Anton Johansson blasted in 2-0, and Kalle Östman added a power-play goal. HV71 coach Anton Blomqvist called an early timeout, but it didn't halt the tide initially.
The second period flipped the script as HV71 roared back: Justin Kloos on power play made it 3-1, Andreas Borgman 3-2, and Jonathan Ang tied it 3-3 with 36 seconds left. Leksand's defense crumbled amid turnovers and penalties. Goaltender Olle Strandell called it 'bedrövligt' in TV4, noting passivity.
In the third, Borgman drew a penalty at 5:17 left, gifting Leksand power play. Max Veronneau, mired in a power-play slump, scored the 4-3 winner via deflection off an HV71 skate. TV4's Sanny Lindström praised, 'Det är lite för enkelt, han går runt sig själv Veronneau.'
HV71's Blomqvist lamented post-match: 'Givetvis är jag besviken på första perioden. Sedan sker det ett scenskifte i den andra perioden där vi är väldigt bra. Men i den tredje kommer vi inte ut och tar tag i matchbilden. Det är surt att släppa in målet i boxplay.' Leksand's win boosted survival hopes, leapfrogging HV71 to last place. Gabriel Fortier earned fan player of the match honors.
