It looked to be another routine night in Gothenburg for Frolunda, after they found themselves two goals up after 20 minutes - Jere Innala broke the deadlock on a powerplay, before Max Friberg created some breathing space four minutes before the break.
That's how things stayed until the 40-minute mark, yet a tripping call against Max Lindholm 15 seconds earlier proved crucial, as 90 seconds into period three, Riley Woods pulled a powerplay goal back.
HV 71 have shown their potential to cause upsets more than once this season, and a real scalp looked on when they found an equaliser with just under two minutes to play through Justin Kloos. However, neither side could find a route to goal in overtime, and Frolunda had their first shootout of the season.
Following three missed penalties, Jacob Peterson scored for the hosts, and though Axel Rindell dealt with the pressure, Innala scored the decisive penalty to win Frolunda the shootout 2-1, and the match 3-2, handing HV 71 back-to-back losses.
Frolunda's very healthy lead atop the standings has been shaved down to a mere 10 points, after second-placed Skelleftea beat Timra 3-1 away from home, gaining successive wins for the first time in nearly a month and extending the hosts' losing streak to three games.
A good night for the top two got better as the next best two, Rogle and Vaxjo, were both beaten, moving Skelleftea four points ahead of the Angelholm side and a further three clear of the Lakers.
Like Frolunda, Lulea and Brynas were both celebrating reaching the Champions Hockey League semi-finals on Tuesday, but neither showed signs of hangovers. Lulea had lost their, previous four in the league, and that looked to heading for five as they were a goal down to Vaxjo after two periods.
However, goals from Frederic Allard, Brendan Shinnimin and Filip Eriksson in the final 11 minutes turned the match around for the champions, who stay just one place above the relegation zone with the 3-1 win, but their cushion over HV 71 is now six points.
Brynas sit ninth after they also came out on the right side of a penalty shootout. Rogle twice pegged them back in regulation time, but from 10 penalties taken, only Oskar Lindblom could find the net with Brynas' fifth attempt - his second of the game - to win the shootout 1-0 and the match 3-2.
On a night of shootouts, Malmo just about managed to keep their long winning run going, needing penalties to edge bottom-of-the-table Leksand 3-2 and go six without defeat. Keeping tabs on the Redhawks are Farjestad, who move back into sixth following a 4-2 victory over Orebro.
Orebro are now clinging onto the final playoff place, as Linkoping won 3-1 at home to Djurgarden to move level on points with the side sitting 10th, as the Stockholm side slip out of the top six.