Djurgården secured a 4-0 victory over HV71 at Hovet, earning a vital shutout in their push for the playoffs. HV71 struggled from the start, gifting chances that led to all four goals. The win breaks Djurgården's losing streak against HV71 this season.
The SHL game on Monday evening at Hovet in Stockholm saw Djurgården dominate HV71, winning 4-0 and clinching their second shutout of the season. Magnus Hellberg stopped all 16 shots faced, while HV71's Felix Sandström allowed four goals on 28 shots.
Djurgården struck first at the three-minute mark when Anton Frondell scored his 16th goal of the season with a direct shot during a fast break, making it 1-0. HV71 coach Anton Blomqvist called a timeout shortly after, but Gustav Lindström extended the lead to 2-0 soon thereafter with his fifth goal, a shot that slipped under Sandström after Emilio Pettersen missed the puck.
In the second period, Jonathan Ang's errant pass set up Viggo Björck to find Joey Snively for the 3-0 goal early in the third. Marcus Krüger sealed the scoring in power play, deflecting Charles Hudon's shot for 4-0, ending Djurgården's seven-game power-play drought.
HV71's performance drew sharp criticism. Blomqvist said, "I can go through all parts of our game, and I'm not satisfied with anything." Forward William Ignberg Nilsson admitted, "We serve them chances and just say: 'Here, help yourself.'" Back Hugo Fransson noted the team was not ready from the start, trailing 0-2 after the first period.
Gustav Lindström, playing over 22 minutes, reflected on the home crowd's support: "It's fantastic. Djurgården touches people." The victory, Djurgården's first against HV71 this season after three losses, moves them closer to a playoff spot, potentially an eighth-final against Färjestad. HV71, fighting relegation, faces self-reflection before their next game against Timrå.
Charles Hudon returned after missing 10 games due to injury, contributing an assist on the fourth goal.