A late goal from Frölunda Gothenburg’s Max Friberg evened the aggregate score at 2-2 in their First Game against fellow Swedish side Luleå Hockey as the two are set to battle in northern Sweden for a shot at the Champions Hockey League Final.

Following an early goal from Frölunda, an improved second period effort saw the visitors generate more quality shots on net and have more high-danger opportunities compared to Frölunda, as Luleå were rewarded with two tallies in the middle stanza to take a 2-1 lead. Brendan Shinnimin potted his team-leading sixth goal of the season on the powerplay, succeeded by Joonas Rask’s first just under ten minutes later.

Following Rask’s tally, however, Frölunda found their second wind and began generating their own opportunities on net which carried over into the third and ultimately led to their series-equaliser with under three minutes of game time left. What to take from the game ahead of their second meeting?

Well, with two of the top teams in the SHL set to battle it out for a spot in the CHL Final, expect another back-and-forth contest. Both boast a strong defence as evidenced by the shot totals – 26-21 in favour of Frölunda – and both know how to put the puck in the back of the net.

The key for Luleå moving forward is consistency. Their second period performance was by far their best hockey of the game, so maintaining that play during the full 60 minutes will be crucial for ensuring a good result. Also, improving their performance in the faceoff dot could be a difference maker. According to the advanced stats, Luleå were beaten in faceoff wins in 3 out of the 5 faceoff circles and won only 20 draws to Frölunda’s 32.

For the four-time CHL Champions, they’ll need to continue to put pressure on Ward. In the First Game, Frölunda managed to find more high-danger chances ,7-5, and were able to dictate the pace of play for most of the match. However, despite their ability to control the play 5-on-5, they failed to convert on the man-advantage. Breaking through with the extra attacker would certainly boost Frölunda's chances of securing their sixth trip to the Final.