Carl Persson sealed the victory for Malmö Redhawks with his 100th SHL goal, directing in the 3-2 winner against Timrå with 24 seconds left. The win marks the team's third straight away victory on their tour, bolstering their playoff position. Persson called it a pleasant way to reach the milestone.
Malmö Redhawks defeated Timrå 3-2 in an exciting away game, with Carl Persson emerging as the hero. The 30-year-old forward reached his milestone with the decisive goal in powerplay, assisted by Janne Kuokkanen. The goal came with just 24 seconds remaining and marked his 100th in the SHL career.
The match started tough for Redhawks, who fell behind despite significant play advantage. Finnish defenseman Robin Salo tied it at 1-1 midway through the first period with a wrist shot from the blue line. In the period's final second, Topi Niemelä made it 2-0, also a Finnish defenseman.
In the middle period, Timrå fought back, and Emil Pettersson leveled it at 2-2. Persson reflects: 'The first period is one of our best this season. Then I don't really know what happens in the second. Maybe we get a bit complacent and relax too much, while they probably got a talking-to in the break and had to step up.'
With just over two minutes left, Redhawks got a powerplay, and Persson put the puck in the net. He and Fredrik Händemark were both at 99 goals before the game. 'Before the game, we said to each other that if one of us scores today, this was absolutely a nice way to make your hundredth goal,' says Persson.
The win is Redhawks' third straight three-pointer on the away tour, which continues to Luleå before returning home against Djurgården on Saturday. Persson misses home: 'Of course you long for home and the family, but at the same time it's good for the group to be away like this and bond as a team. And of course more fun when you win games too.'
Away tour results:
- Jan 10: Örebro 2-4 (goals: Seth Barton, Fredrik Händemark)
- Jan 15: Skellefteå 1-4 (goal: Robin Hanzl)
- Jan 17: Rögle 6-4 (goals: Carl Persson 2, Lauri Pajuniemi, William von Barnekow, Axel Sundberg, Robin Hanzl)
- Jan 24: Djurgården 1-0 (goal: Linus Öberg)
- Jan 27: Timrå 3-2 (goals: Robin Salo, Topi Niemelä, Carl Persson)
The victory solidifies Redhawks as one of the six teams with a direct spot in the quarterfinals. 'We have a hell of a belief in this team and that we never give up we've shown several times. It has strengthened us over time. Everyone in the team has started to realize what it takes to win. We have something good going,' states Persson.
