Skellefteå AIK are off to the Quarter-Finals for the second year in a row following a 5-2 home-ice victory over Oceláři Třinec in the Return Game of the Round of 16, giving them an 8-6 win on aggregate. Max Lindholm led the offence with a hattrick and his first three Champions Hockey League goals of the season.

After losing 4-3 last week in Třinec, Skellefteå trailed by a goal on aggregate score heading into their home game but were dominant in this one, shout-shooting the visitors 24-10 through two periods.

The two teams traded goals in the first period. Třinec struck first on an early powerplay, with defenceman Jakub Jeřábek one-timing a pass from Martin Růžička from the point to increase the aggregate lead to two. But after that, Skellefteå dominated the rest of the period and answered in the 14th minute when Jonathan Pudas made a nice move with the puck from the point and fed Lindholm with a backdoor pass on his backhand.

Skellefteå continued to dominate in period two and scored twice to level the aggregate score and then take the lead. Just past the game’s midpoint, it was the trifecta of Filip Sandberg to Pudas to Lindholm connecting for a second time, with Lindholm’s quick wrister from the high slot beating Kacetl through traffic. Then with Skellefteå pressuring in the final minute of the middle frame, Andreas Johnson made a pass to Dylan Sikura behind the Třinec net, and Sikura found space behind the goalie from a sharp angle.

With their backs now against the wall, Třinec came out with a push to start the third period and drew back even at 43:56 off an attacking-zone faceoff, with Richard Pánik being first on the puck and picking a spot under the blocker of David Rautio from in close. Then they went to the powerplay and had some chances to retake the lead but, under pressure for the first time in the game, the veteran Rautio stood tall.

However, following a brief break in play after a fire alarm sounded, Skellefteå were able to take back the momentum. Lindholm completed his hat trick on the powerplay with 8:45 to play, taking a pass from Oskar Nilsson and beating Kacetl with a shot over the blocker.

Then with under five minutes to play, defenceman Elias Salomonsson gave Skellefteå a bit of breathing room, as his wrist shot from just inside the blue line went through a crowd in front and found the back of the net.

Somewhat deflated, Třinec never seriously threatened after that.