DIF - Brynäs IF 4-3 (0-1, 2-1, 2-1)
1st: 0-1, Greg Parks, 2.49
2nd: 1-1, Espen Knutsen (Björn Nord, Magnus Jansson), 2.44
1-2, Mikael Lindh (Mikael Wahlberg), 4.06
2-2, Jansson (Fredrik Lindqvist, Knutsen), 15.38
3rd: 3-2, Per Eklund (Anders Huusko), 8.00
3-3, Ove Molin (Bedrich Scerban), 8.37
4-3, Lindqvist (Knutsen), 19.31
Shots on goal:
1st: 12- 8
2nd: 10- 5
3rd: 6- 5
total: 28-18
Penalties: 5x2 - 11x2
Referee: Sven Erik Sold
Attendance: 8062
You could see that the two teams were lacking selfconfidence after having lost three
(DIF) and two (Brynäs) games respectively in a row.
The 1-2 goal was quite strange. Mikael Lindh in Brynäs made a lame wrist shot, which
hit a DIF defender (I don't recall whom), who was standing about a meter to the left of the goal. The puck touched Hofbauer's back and fell into the goal.
In the beginning of the third period, Djurgården played well, but Brynäs' keeper Mikael Sundlöv was very good. When, at last, Per Eklund managed to put the puck in the
net, you had a feeling that it settled the game. Wrong. In 37 seconds Ove Molin had
scored 3-3 after a great solo raid.
When 29 seconds were left, Espen Knutsen made a gorgeous pass to Fredrik Lindqvist,
who scored the winner, and most of the crowd went absolutely nuts.
The referee was heavy critizised during and after the game by Tommy Sandlin, the Brynäs coach. Of course it seems strange with 11-5 in penalties, but in my opinion the
referee was right. It's too common that the ugly playing team gets away with fouls after they have had a few penalties.
Game rating (1-5): 2
Best goalkeeper: Mikael Sundlöv, Brynäs
Brynäs scored the first goal in power play after a mistake from the Djurgården keeper Patrik Hofbauer, who replaced the fever-ill Thomas Östlund.
After that, DIF got several opportunities to equalize, as the referee started to send off Brynäs players like mad. In the beginning of the second period, Espen Knutsen
scored on a slapshot from the blue line in a 5-3 power play.
After having failed completely to take advantage of a number of power plays (and a penalty (Per Eklund)), DIF equalized in another 5-3 PP.
Best defender: Thomas Johansson, DIF
Best forward: Espen Knutsen, DIF