AIK turning and won – important victory in the key match

It was black and yellow that applied to Hovet’s stands on Easter day.

After being away in the first two finals against Djurgården – even though the matches were played at home at Hovet – it was in the third AIK who was a home team. Thus, it was also their supporters who were welcome.

The hope was that AIK with the supporters’ support would reduce to 2-1 in matches, and stop Djurgården from taking a 3-0 lead. In Swedish hockey, it has never happened that a team that has been down 3-0 in matches in a playoff series has returned after that and turned it to a 4-3 victory in matches.

Like the two introductory final matches between AIK and Djurgården, the third also became a goal -oriented smooth history – even though it swung some.

When the three regular periods were completed, the score was 3–3, and for the second match in a row, an extension was required to select a winner.

This time it was AIK that was strongest in it, and now this series lives to the highest degree.

Before Easter’s Match said AIK coach Roger Melin that in the second final they had been severely punished by expulsions. In the third, they would therefore as far as possible stay away from the deportation booth.

It broke right away.

Already at the beginning of the period, AIK’s forward Rasmus Rudslätt ended up there, and in the subsequent numerical superiority Djurgården took the lead by 1-0.

Team captain Marcus Krüger scored the goal after Dick Axelsson released him, and Djurgården’s game in powerplay held the highest class.

After being away from games for over three weeks due to injury, 41-year-old Norwegian veteran Patrick Thoresen in Easter Day’s match was back in the team.

Thoresen is an important leader in Djurgården, and in the tenth minute it was he who made the team’s 2-0 goals after carelessness in AIK’s defense.

Djurgården was The better team in the first period, but in the closing seconds Patrick Thoresen again became the protagonist.

At that time, however, the reason was not as fun.

Thoresen tackled AIK’s Daniel Muzito Bagenda, and the judges judged that the tackle took their heads. The judges examined the pictures, and held on to the decision. Thus, it became a match penalty for Thorsen, and AIK had to start the second period with a man more for five minutes.

There were five very eventful minutes.

First, Gerry Fitzgerald reduced to 2-1. The home crowd sang with joy, but after only 35 seconds, Djurgården’s Marcus Krüger silenced the song

In play in numerical disadvantage, he became a two-goal shooter when he scored the 3-1 goal.

It wasn’t over there. With 37 seconds left of the expulsion, it was Gerry Fitzgerald who became a two-goal shooter with his 3-2 goal.

Second period Was a torn period with another three expulsions – two for Djurgården and one for AIK. But there were some more goals.

« All expulsions obviously characterized the second period, but it is a smooth match, » Djurgården’s team captain Krüger told TV4.

AIK came out at full speed in the third, and that gave dividends. In the fourth minute Lukas Zetterberg acknowledged 3-3.

« I think we play really well in the third, » AIK’s Sid Boije told TV4.

However, there were no more goals during regular time, but in the seventh minute in the extension came the decisive goal.

The fourth final match will be decided on Tuesday. Even then with AIK as a home team.