SHL roundup: Frolunda march on against Rogle as Malmo back to winning ways

Frolunda celebrate their fifth goal against Rogle
Frolunda celebrate their fifth goal against RogleBildbyran / ddp USA / Profimedia

Frolunda had every right to celebrate their commanding lead atop the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) table at Christmas, but there were no signs of hangovers as they won away at Rogle, while Malmo's win over Vaxjo ensured and a loss to Skelleftea meant the leaders were the only team in the top four to win.

Rogle has managed to beat Frolunda with a shutout the last time they met in late-October, but in the final six minutes of the first period, the visitors ensured there would be no repeat, as Jacob Peterson and Max Lindholm both found the net.

The home side then failed to capitalise with a pair of powerplays, and they were punished in the 15th minute of the second period, as Nicklas Lasu made it 3-0, though Rogle finally got on the board three minutes later through Lubos Horky.

Jere Innala's strike early in period three meant Horky's second of the game with just over seven minutes remaining was little more than a consolation. The Angelholm side still went for broke, but pulling the goaltender resulted only in an empty-netter for Filip Cederqvist.

The 5-2 victory takes the Gothenburg side to 70 points and their winning streak to nine. Rogle remain in third place despite a third loss in their last four.

Frolunda's lead at the top is now 14 points as Skelleftea fell to a 3-2 overtime loss to Lulea. Oskari Laaksonen struck the game-winner three minutes into the extra period, taking the champions' winning run to three games, while Skelleftea put just one more point between themselves and Rogle.

The night's other meeting between top-six teams saw fifth-placed Malmo go to fourth-placed Vaxjo, and despite having a six-match winning run ended last time out, the visitors quickly regained their form to run out 5-2 victors.

Almost 17 minutes had been played when Malmo's Janne Kuokkanen finally broke the deadlock, but any suggestion of this game going to the wire were dismissed in the first nine minutes of period two.

Thomas Berg-Paulsen scored shorthanded to double the advantage, before Carl Persson and Axel Sundberg both found the net to give the Redhawks a commanding 4-0 lead.

Karl Henriksson got Vaxjo on the board soon after, but that was how things stayed until 12 minutes into period three, when Fredrik Handemark restored the four-goal cushion. Dennis Rasmussen pulled another back, but the gap between the two has now been cut to four points.

Clinging onto the final top-six place are Farjestad, as they needed penalties to overcome Linkoping at home, 3-2. Two Nick Shore goals helped the visitors take the game the distance, but only Oskar Steen could find the net in the shootout, giving Farjestad a fourth win in five as Linkoping sit 11th.

Missing the chance to replace Farjestad in sixth were Djurgarden, who are now on a three-match losing streak. Despite the Stockholm side's poor form, the manner of their loss was a real shock, as they were thumped 5-0 at home by bottom-of-the-table Leksand.

Lukas Vejdemo netted twice in the third period, but the visitors' hero was Marcus Gidlof, who made an incredible 38 saves to register one of the shutouts of the season, ending Leksand's five-match losing streak.

HV 71 stay in the bottom two and six points above Leksand despite recording a second high-scoring victory in as many games, as Justin Kloos and Riley Woods scored two apiece in their 7-4 away victory over Orebro, who are hanging onto the final Playoff place by a thread.

However, they are now just four points from safety after Brynas were downed 2-0 by Timra. Jacob Johansson made 18 saves to put an end to Timra's four-match losing streak, while it's successive defeats for Brynas, the stars of last year's regular season.

Review all tonight's SHL action on Flashscore.

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