The two teams in northern Sweden have a long-standing rivalry and it was apparent as Skelleftea AIK and Lulea Hockey battled to a 2–2 tie to open their semi-final. Lulea scored once early and once late to take the series home on even terms.

Skelleftea AIK 2–2 Lulea Hockey

WATCH game highlights here | FOLLOW the series here

by Derek O'Brien, with quotations from Henrik Lundqvist

SKELLEFTEA – It was said that the derby of northern Sweden was going to be a fierce one, likely to be decided by the slightest of margins, despite the difference between the two teams in the SHL standings. After the first game of this home-and-away semi-final, that forecast seems accurate. 

Lulea played a solid road game, with a strong contingent of fans who made the 130 km drive south, and outshot Skelleftea 31–26. They got an early goal, saw Skelleftea even the score and take the lead, and then tied it late to bring the series home with an even score. 

"We've hardly played any good games in the CHL. I do not really know why," Skelleftea coach Hans Wallson said, despite the fact his team has managed to make it to the semi-finals. However, for the first-place team in what many consider the best national league in continental Europe, expectations are high.

The first period was even in shots, 11–11, but Lulea had the best chances and scored the only goal. Lars Brygmann opened the scoring at the 1:32 mark with a shot inside the far post. They nearly made it 2–0 10 minutes later when Markus Svensson denied Lucas Wallmark on a breakaway and the Skelleftea goalie nearly dragged the puck back with him over the goal line. Then late in the period Svensson made a great glove save off a bullet from the point by Kristian Nakyva, but the Lulea defenceman would get his revenge later. 

Anton Lindholm tied the game in the 35th minute when he thread the needle with a long wrister from the point through traffic that beat Joel Lassinantti high, bumping the water bottle on the top of the net.

"I tried to avoid the first player and then it found the way," the 20-year-old Skelleftea defenceman said.

Then early in the third period, Skelleftea caught a break when Patrik Zackrisson's shot went off defenceman Jan Sandstrom and into the net to give the home team its first lead of the game.

"It was a little tough for us," said Nakyva. "We had a tough time for a while after that. They got good pressure and good energy from that goal. We got better in the last 10 minutes of the game, pressured hard and they gave us some power plays. And luckily we got the goal."

There were three straight power plays for Lulea in the last 10 minutes, including a 5-on-3 for 1:05. They didn't score on that, but after Martin Sevc was given the lone penalty after a scrum, it took only four seconds for Nakyva to make good with a blast from the point, tying the score 2–2 with only 1:04 on the clock. 

Nakyva described, "I took the space to the middle and tried to get it through. There were three guys going to the net. It bounced, or something happened and it went in."

On his team's effort, Lulea head coach Joakim Fagervall said, "I think we started well from the start. We moved our legs and created a lot of scoring chances. We had a litte trouble in the middle part, but we came back strong. We gave a strong effort and played a good team game." 

His team accomplished what it set out to do, and thanks to that they will have a clean slate as they take the the ice next Tuesday on home ice, with a berth in the CHL final at stake.