Malmö turned a 0–1 deficit into a 4–1 win away to top team Frölunda. Carl Persson scored a dream goal and the distance to qualification is now six points. Tonight’s performance was one of the Redhawks’ best this season.
Here are Gustav Lundblad’s five impressions from the match.
1. A team victory for Malmö
This Malmö team is third last in the SHL, but they are still having a strong season.
They have “only” two Finnish STARS, Carl Persson and a national team goalkeeper – as well as a lot of honest hockey players.
But Malmö does that teamwork, week in and week out, round following round – better than many teams in the series with bigger salary budgets.
And that often leads, especially in the last month, to points for Tomas Kollar’s build. Here and there around the SHL heat.
Tonight once morest a strong home top team in Frölunda, my feeling early on was that it wouldn’t do it.
Without an injured Lauri Pajuniemi and with Daniel Marmenlind on the bench.
I was wrong.
2. Werner shone
Daniel Marmenlind had a tough derby once morest Rögle last Saturday and had to stand on the sidelines tonight.
In a reasonably even first period, goalkeeper Adam Werner was the one who kept Malmö’s clean sheet intact.
Frölunda didn’t have many shots, but they came up with a couple of rough chances (two of them for Noah Hasa) where Werner defied gravity and stopped pucks both lying and standing.
In the third, he made a good save when Malte Strömvall got to a good chance, but then it wasn’t very sweaty – neither for Werner nor for the Redhawks.
3. Persson’s dream goal
Because from the middle period onwards, the doomed Malmö team was outnumbered by mighty Frölunda and 9304 spectators in Scandinavium.
The home camp got some morning air when William von Barnekow got an early sending off and Jere Innala made it 1-0 for the home team on the power play following 2:28.
Malmö went for another box play, but survived it and then it was time for the match’s most brilliant sequence.
Malmö ARE dependent on their first chain and without Lauri Pajuniemi, the Finns’ playmate Carl Persson would have to show the front legs tonight.
He did.
He picked up the puck the wrong way near the blue line, turned up, took a few quick cuts forward, played sideways to Janne Kuokkanen – who lightning fast, immediately, cut right through Frölunda’s defense with a pass and found his way back to Persson, who scored the equalizer. His 14th goal of the season!
Robin Alvarez in front of the register might only smile at the brilliance of the chain friends.
4. Malmö hammered three nails into the coffin
The end of the middle period saw a heroic Malmö make the game their own, but chances were there for both teams.
For Malmö, a hot Persson ensured that Jakub Galvas and Robin Alvarez got a double chance – but like Linus “Luis Suarez” Högberg stopped the puck with his hand in front of the goal line.
The third period came. Markus Sylvegård gave Malmö a helping hand in the bottom battle with his 3-1 for Växjö once morest MoDo, we were told in front of the TV via a ping.
And then came the decision.
Kim Rosdahl intercepted a mispass in the center zone, got to a free position and sent up 2–1 in the front cross.
When everyone was waiting for a brutal home forcing, Malmö Redhawks showed that they are more than their first chain. Johan Olofsson covered shots and was hurt. Rosdahl and Johan Ivarsson stepped up on the counterattack and defender Henrik Tömmernes saved Frölunda’s goal with his stick.
A minute later it rang once more. Frölunda’s forcing was blown away when Jakub Galvas went up with the puck from the blue line and passed Mattias Lassen obliquely to the back. Plop, straight up into the net ceiling.
Frölunda took a timeout.
Janne Kuokkanen buried the forcing. 4-1 spot-kick shot into an empty net by the flying Finn – it was only the fourth time this season that Malmö scored as many goals following full time once morest a team not named HV71 or Oskarshamn.
It was perhaps the most impressive Malmö Redhawks performance of the year, which was crowned in Scandinavium.
5. Can Malmö survive now?
Malmö beat Frölunda 4-1 and this whole evening meant a BIG step towards a new contract.
Rögle also won 4–1, once morest HV71, which means that Malmö is now six points down on HV in the qualifying spot. As well as a better goal difference than the Småländers.
Six rounds remain.
If things go well for Malmö, the home match once morest HV71 in the last round will not mean anything for the battle to avoid qualification.
It looks good on that front – especially as Malmö will face the punching bag Oskarshamn at home on Thursday. It is a team that HV71 does not have left to face.
So Malmö’s prospects for surviving should be good. The question tonight is whether there can also be playoffs for MIF.
Sylvegård’s aforementioned goal once morest MoDo was not enough to net the rival Norlanders, who took a point in that match (Sylvegård, however, decided the penalty shootout for Växjö).
A strong Rögle is four points ahead of Malmö. Örebro is another two sticks ahead.
Reaching the round of 16 will not be easy for the Redhawks. But tonight’s performance clearly showed that this team should not be underestimated.
The standings, bottom of the SHL:
9. Örebro, 62p.
10. Rögle, 60p.
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11. MoDo, 59p.
12. Malmö, 56p.
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13. HV71, 50p.
14. Oskarshamn, 33p.
Photo: Bildbyrån
My five impressions from the fateful match RBK–HV71 4–1: Oh, such an important victory, Rögle!
Contact details:
gustav.lundblad@skanesport.se
