Växjö rallied in the third period to beat Rögle 4-2 in game three of their SHL playoff semifinal, reducing Rögle's series lead to 2-1. Leo Sahlin Wallenius tied the score at 2-2 and assisted on the go-ahead goal, while Hugo Gustafsson sealed the win with an empty-netter. The victory came at Rögle's home arena in Ängelholm.
Rögle took an early lead in the third game of the semifinal series, with Linus Sandin scoring 1-0 assisted by Dennis Everberg. Everberg had earlier accidentally tripped referee Christoffer Holm, but the official continued without injury, according to TV4 commentators Johan Edlund and Staffan Kronwall. TV4 expert Kronwall criticized Växjö's defensemen early, calling backpairs like Keegan Lowe and Petter Granberg too slow and lazy, noting poor plus/minus stats in the series so far. Rögle led 2-1 at one point, having scored the previous 12 goals in the series before this matchup. Växjö turned the game around in the third period. Leo Sahlin Wallenius evened it at 2-2 with a play involving Lucas Elvenes, then set up Brogan Rafferty's 3-2 goal alongside Felix Robert. Sahlin Wallenius, who logged heavy minutes with Rafferty, told TV4, “I see Elvenes there, give him the puck and take a new position, usually you get it back.” Hugo Gustafsson, returning to the arena where he earlier injured his eye, added the 4-2 empty-net goal. Post-game, Sahlin Wallenius emphasized the win's importance: “There’s a big difference between 1-2 and 0-3. It’ll be a fun match next.” He laughed off his “Showtime” nickname, linking it to teammate Dennis Rasmussen and his upcoming San José Sharks contract. Rögle coach Dan Tangnes remained upbeat, saying, “We played quite well the first two periods,” but noted a drop in efficiency and plans for tactical changes ahead of game four at home on Tuesday. Gustafsson added, “We take it match by match,” focusing on momentum and control.
