Read below for information on the eighth-final series between Skellefteå AIK and JYP Jyväskylä. Skellefteå won 8–7 on aggregate to advance to the quarter-finals.

Game 2

Time and time again in this series, JYP seemed to have victory in hand, and yet Skelleftea came up big in the third period both times and eventually forced a shootout, which they won. JYP held a two-goal aggregate lead into the final three minutes of regulation time, but Oskar Sundqvist scored a power-play goal and then Par Lindholm tied it with just 18 seconds left. It was Lundholm's second point in the game, while Andrew Calof led Skelleftea offensively with a goal and two assists. Jani Tuppurainen and Anssi Lofman had two points each for JYP. 

Understandably, JYP coach Marko Virtanen wasn't in a talkative mood afterward, saying only, "The game was as tight as it could be. I'm disappointed, but we did what we could. We had our own chances but that's the way the game goes."

His Skelleftea counterpart, Hans Wallson, said it was a "great game. We found a way to win and it was really fun. Our first period wasn't good and JYP was the better team. We played a more conservative in the second period. In the third we played hard. We took the long way there but we did it."

READ the live blog here | WATCH the highlights here

Game 1

JYP partially accomplished what they wanted, getting the win on home ice. However, it could have been a much larger lead, as they were up 5–1 after two periods. Markus Hannikainen, Miika Lahti and Juuso Ikkonen – who scored on a beautiful solo effort – led the JYP attack with two points each. Skelleftea got three big goals in the third period to make their task much more manageable on home ice next week. Kirill Kabanov got a goal and an assist for them.

"(I've got) A really bad taste in my mouth. Good win but the third period was awful," said Hannikainen, who was clearly unhappy with letting a potentially commanding lead into the second leg mostly get away. "We have to go next Tuesday even harder and forget about this."

READ the live blog here | WATCH the highlights here

JYP coach Virtanen: "We beat a really tough team"

JYP's Ikonen says "It feels good" to be recognized for beautiful goal

Preview

The defending SHL playoff champions and current league leaders versus a solid Liiga club was exactly the kind of match-up that the CHL was set up to bring in. Both sides have also played teams from each other’s countries so far in the CHL, with Skellefteå beating IFK Helsinki 3–0 at home but losing 5–3 away, and JYP beating HV71 Jönköping in both games although the game in Jyväskylä went to a shootout. HV71 are the only team to have beaten Skellefteå in regulation time this season, something that will give JYP a boost. IFK and JYP will meet in the Liiga before this CHL tie takes to the ice, so Skellefteå may be able to take a better look at the quality of their opponents then. Skellefteå’s strong home record indicates that JYP will probably need to take a lead with them to Sweden after the first game.

Closer look: Skellefteå AIK

(5-0-0-1, 15 points, 20:8, 1st in Group J)

Last year’s SHL playoff champions Skellefteå came through Group J comfortably, winning by a point as only IFK offered some competition, but finishing 11 points ahead of third place. Their only loss came in Helsinki on Game Day 6 after they'd already secured a berth in the playoff round. In the SHL, Skellefteå are not surprisingly battling at the top. They didn't suffer their first home loss of any kind, in the CHL or SHL, until 23 October.

Erik

Forssell

5+2, +5

 

CRAMO Top Scorer: Erik Forssell is Skellefteå’s leading scorer in the CHL with five goals and two assists. The veteran, playing his eighth SHL season for Skellefteå, is also scoring at a good pace in the SHL and is on pace to beat his career high of 15.

 

Martin

Sevc

0+2, +6

 

Top Defenceman: Skellefteå are not shallow on the back end, and one of their top defencemen is Czech national team regular Martin Sevc. Not only is he able to contribute offensively, but he's physical and somebody who opposing forwards need to be aware of when crossing the blueline.

 

Markus

Svensson

95.83%

 

Goaltender: Netminding has been strong for Skellefteå so far with Markus Svensson performing well in the SHL. In the CHL, he notched 95.83% in the two games played.

 

Click here for team statistics.

Closer look: JYP Jyväskylä

(3-2-0-1, 13 points, 15:11, 2nd in Group I)

JYP Jyväskylä may not have expected to win Group I, but coming second to Red Bull Salzburg would have come as a bit of a shock, as would have their 4-0 loss in Austria. That loss, coupled with losing in a shootout to the basement-dwelling Kloten Flyers cost them top spot. In the Liiga, JYP is the highest-scoring team in the league, but are in the middle of the pack as they're not as tight defensively as they'd like to be.

Eric

Perrin

4+2, even

 

CRAMO Top Scorer: Eric Perrin leads JYP after the CHL's group stage, coming up with six points. He’s also up near the top of the Liiga scoring race too, neck-and-neck with teammate Jani Tuppurainen.

 

Mikko

Luoma

1+2, +4

 

Top Defenceman: With Mikko Mäenpää out of the lineup, Mikko Luoma has paced the team from the back end, both in contributing on offence and physically. In the CHL he has three points in six games and his plus-4 rating stands out.

 

Tuomas

Tarkki

93.41%

 

Goaltender: JYP's go-to goalie, Tuomas Tarkki knows his team needs him to come up big in the playoff round. He played all six group games, and ended with a 93.41 save percentage.

 

Click here for team statistics.

Related Links

01.11.2014 – Interview: JYP's Lindström on Skellefteå series, "It doesn't matter whether we start home or away"

27.08.2014 – Interview: JYP's Mäenpää: "When you see your teammate blocking a shot, it always gets you going"

01.08.2014 – Video: Champion Town Skelleftea

01.08.2014 – Video: Skelleftea AIK's strong leaders

01.08.2014 – Video: Skelleftea AIK working hard