SHL opens with a shootout game

Luleå HF and Skellefteå AIK played tonight the opening game of the Swedish top league SHL. Two teams from northern Sweden that have performed perfectly in Champions Hockey League. The game in COOP Norrbotten Arena was close all the way and it took a shootout to decide it. The goalies, Daniel Larsson of Luleå and Markus Svensson of Skellefteå had to problems at all to keep the shootout scoreless until Daniel Zaar decided it.

"It was incredibly nice to decide the first game," says Zaar to C More. "We are doing an okay job, but we can get even better."

Zaar, the newcomer from Rögle, could have decided the game in the third period when he had a terrific chance on a breakaway, but Svensson just stopped him.

Luleå scored the first goal of the game when the veteran Jan Sandström used the home team's first power play of the game. Sandström was then unlucky when Skellefteå tied it three minutes later. Pär Lindholm's shot touched Sandström's skate and Daniel Larsson had no possibility to stop the puck. 

"They sent the puck from the corner and it hit Janne's skate and then in the roof of the net. Unlucky, but these things happen", says Larsson.

Lindholm scored again to take Skellefteå ahead at 29:43 but Luleå would tie it four minutes later. Per Ledin picked up a rebound to score his first goal in SHL this season.

"I'm happy that we had a good goalie that pulled us through", says the Luleå coach Joakim Fagervall. "I'm really happy that we win the game. Not completely satisfied with how we play, but this is something to build on."

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