For the third Tuesday in a row, Skellefteå AIK faced Färjestad.
– I am getting tired of them; we have to make sure we win this time, said AIK coach Robert Ohlsson on Monday.
And the third time was the charm.
AIK went into the meeting with a one-goal deficit after the first match in Skellefteå. Less than three minutes into the second leg, Filip Sandberg had a great chance after a superb pass from Jonathan Pudas found AIK's number 43 in space, but his shot was so high and wild it made you question the very existence of gravity.
Minutes later AIK scored. Andreas Johnson carried the puck, Pär Lindholm took over and Dylan Sikura finished the attack.
A few rough minutes and two quick AIK penalties gave Färjestad an easy way into the game, and Sweden's best hockey team took advantage. Captain Linus Johansson tied the game on the powerplay.
The middle period was long and uneventful, but a serious fight livened things up. Färjestad got a five-on-four powerplay and both teams had chances, with Simon Robertsson coming closest on a breakaway.
In the early stages of the third period AIK got a powerplay, but they couldn't capitalize. Immediately, Färjestad's Joakim Nygård went on a breakaway, but Linus Söderström made a great save to keep his team in the game. Offensively, AIK, dressed in white for the day, failed to create anything for the next two minutes.
The clock ticked relentlessly down. The tension reached a level where even a teenager was seen to put down their phone to watch what was happening.
Finally, a goal was scored. By AIK. Elias Stenman fired a real sniper's shot and tied the overall tie at 5-5.
With just over five minutes to play, it happened again. After a scramble, Oskar Nilsson nudged AIK ahead, and then the defender sealed the deal with an empty-net goal to make it 4-1. AIK had done it!
They play Czech underdogs, Vítkovice Ridera in the semi-finals.
The first of the two-leg semi-final matches will be played January 9–10 next year, with the return matches contested on January 16–17.
The final will be decided in one match and will be played on February 20.
MATCH FACTS
CHL Quarter-final
Färjestad BK–Skellefteå AIK 1–4 (1–1, 0–0, 0–3)
Aggregate score: 7–5 to Skellefteå AIK.
Goals: 0–1 (04.44) Dylan Sikura (P. Lindholm, Johnson), 1–1 (11.07) Linus Johansson (Kellman), 1–2 (50.08) Elias Stenman, 1–3 (54.20) Oskar Nilsson, 1–4 (empty goal) Oskar Nilsson.
Shots: 26–30 (6–10, 8–8, 12–12)
Penalty minutes: 4–8 (2–4, 0–2, 2–2)
Referees: Linus Öhlund, Mikael Nord.
