Rögle BK staged a stunning comeback to beat Växjö Lakers in the first game of their SHL playoff semifinal series. The Lakers led 3-0 midway through the second period but collapsed as Rögle equalized in five minutes. Växjö coach Björn Hellkvist downplayed the loss, focusing on his own team.
Växjö Lakers got off to a dream start in the second period when Brogan Rafferty scored the opener with a dragshot from the blue line past Rögle goaltender Arvid Holm. Rafferty then set up Eemeli Suomi for the 2-0 goal moments later, and the hosts extended their lead to 3-0 by mid-game, according to live updates from HockeyNews.se. With seven minutes left in the period, however, Rögle mounted a rapid response: Lubos Horky made it 3-1, Daniel Zaar pulled one back to 3-2, and Karson Kuhlman tied the game at 3-3 within five minutes. The BK side went on to win, handing the Lakers their first semifinal loss after blowing a three-goal advantage. Björn Hellkvist, Lakers coach, addressed the collapse in a TV4 interview, saying, “Det är stormigt där i andra, vi behöver samtidigt hitta en väg att sätta dit en del chanser vi har.” Asked about lessons from Rögle—who themselves overturned a 0-3 series deficit against Färjestad in the quarterfinals—Hellkvist replied, “Jag bryr mig inte så mycket om Rögle. Jag lär mig mest om mitt eget lag, lite småjusteringar så ska det nog bli bra det här.” Rögle captain Anton Bengtsson credited their belief in their game plan: “Vi har en tro på det vi gör och vårt sätt att spela.” He added, “I första perioden är vi otroligt dåliga med pucken och sen jobbar vi oss in i matchen.” The coaches, Hellkvist and Rögle's Dan Tangnes, are longtime friends but have paused contact for the playoffs, with Hellkvist stating, “Nu är vi motståndare, lägger den vänskapen åt sidan och tävlar mot varandra.” Växjö, who beat Brynäs 4-1 in quarters, are missing injured forwards Otto Koivula, Sebastian Strandberg, and Ludvig Nilsson.
