Växjö defeats Linköping

22 Sep 2014 | Henrik Lundqvist

The SHL favorite Växjö Lakers beat Linköping 5-3 away in Saab Arena. Former Linköping player Malte Strömwall scored twice.

Linköping - Växjö Lakers 3 - 5 (1-0, 1-2, 1-3)

Linköping suffered the first home loss of the season when Växjö visited them tonight. After three goals in the third period Växjö was never threatened even if Linköping got 3-5 91 seconds before the end and pulled goalie David Rautio.

The home team took the lead with the only goal of the first period. Broc Little got the goal on a rebound from the Växjö goalie Cristopher Nilstorp. Malte Strömwall, who played in Linköping as a junior before moving to Tri City Americans of the WHL, scored the equaliser with a well placed shot after a long pass from Ville Varakas.

"This evokes emotions. I have lived here since I was nine years old and I played in Linkoping until I was 17, says Strömwall to CMore."

Tuomas Kiiskinen then took Växjö to the lead at 29:18 with a deflection. Linköping tied it late in the period with a really beautiful powerplay goal. Sebastian Karlsson played the puck behind his back to Jacob Micflikier who got an open net to tie it.

Växjö scored three goals in a row in the third period to gain a 5-2 lead. Malte Strömwall scored from the right wing - a goal similar to his first. Robert Rosén then made it 4-2 from the left face-off circle. Rhett Rakhshani deflected a shot from Noah Welch for the fifth goal for the visitor. Linköping got some new hope after Nicklas Hardt's 3-5 goal at 58:29 but couldn't get any closer.