Read below for information on the Quarter-Final series between Linkoping HC and Frolunda Gothenburg. Frolunda won on aggregate 9-2 to advance to the Semi-Finals.

Preview

Two Swedish teams go head-to-head in the Quarter-Finals as Linkoping HC take on Frolunda Gothenburg. If past CHL accomplishments or the current standing of the teams in the SHL is any indication, Frolunda should be clear favourites. The side from Gothenburg have been to the CHL Final each of the past two years and are the reigning CHL and SHL champions. This season, they are first place in the SHL regular season. Linkoping, on the other hand, are in the CHL Quarter-Finals for the first time and mired in 8th place in the 14-team Swedish domestic circuit. However, the statistics that the two teams have put up through eight CHL games so far this season are remarkably similar. Only one point separates them in accumulated points, and they are both +14 in goal difference. They are both dangerous offensively, particularly on the power play, and can play shut-down defence when needed. The two teams have met twice in SHL play this season and Linkoping won both – 3-2 in Gothenburg on 15 October and 3-0 at home on 26 November, in which Marcus Hogberg posted a 33-save shutout. 

Closer look: Linkoping HC

(6-0-1-1, 17 points, 27:13)

Linkoping HC were expected to emerge from Group K, and that's exactly what happened. In their first CHL game of the season, they won a 2-0 war of attrition in Gap. Linkoping then took a big step towards winning the group with a 4-1 win in Jyvaskyla. They then did it on home ice as well, beating the same two teams in reverse order 4-3 and 6-1 to take the maximum 12 points from the group stage. They started the Round of 32 with a big 7-4 win in Davos, only to see their lead evaporate at home – Davos scored three straight goals, but Linkoping added a late pair to prevail on aggregate. After scoring 25 goals in their first 6 games, they scored only twice in the Round of 16 vs IFK Helsinki, but that was enough to prevail on aggregate 2-1 in a defensive struggle. Their defence will get a big test now against the reigning CHL champions.

Broc

Little

6+3, +5

 

Top Forward & CRAMO Top Scorer: Broc Little scored a CHL-best 5 goals in the group stage, and turned into more of a set-up man in the Round of 32 with 3 assists, and then was held pointless in a low-scoring Round of 16. Little is also the leading scorer in the SHL with 25 points in 22 games. Linkoping have two lines of dangerous forwards, which include the likes of Niclas Bergfors, Henrik Tornqvist, Niklas Persson and former CHL MVP Mathis Olimb, who will be playing against his former team, so there's no easy solution to shutting down this offence, which is especially dangerous on the power play.   

Kristian

Nakyva

1+6, +4

 

Top Defenceman: It's not only Linkoping's forwards that are dangerous – they get plenty of production from the back end as well. Kristian Nakyva has 7 points, which is tied for second on the team, and he has 13 points in 22 SHL games. Two seasons ago, Nakyva was brilliant on defence for Lulea Hockey, scoring 12 points in 13 games en route to the CHL title. Last year, the Finnish D-man played in the AHL, but now he's back in Sweden. He makes up for the loss of Gustav Forsling, who is now playing for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks after helping Linkoping in this year's CHL group stage. 

Marcus

Hogberg

92.62 %

 

Top Goaltender: With Linkoping HC’s great start in the CHL, neither Jacob Johansson nor Marcus Hogberg had to be excellent in goal in the group stage. The job got tougher in the Round of 16 vs IFK Helsinki, though, and Hogberg was brilliant, giving up only 1 goal on 55 shots in 120 minutes. They needed every one of those saves, too, in one-goal aggregate victory. After splitting the goaltending duties in Linkoping with David Rautio the last two years, Hogberg is now the team's starting goalie ahead of Johansson, who spent the last two seasons in the Allsvenskan. Hogberg played all four games vs Davos and IFK Helsinki, and has beaten Frolunda twice in the SHL this season.

Click here for team statistics.

Closer look: Frolunda Gothenburg

(5-0-1-2, 16 points, 28:14)

Frolunda Gothenburg were expected to win Group A, and they did, but it was a lot harder than expected. First it was a narrow 2-1 win in Wolfsburg, followed by a 3-2 overtime loss in Pardubice. When they got home to Gothenburg, things seemed to be getting back on track with a 5-2 win over Pardubice, which wrapped up the group. In the group's last game, with a lot at stake for the visitors, Wolfsburg won 3-2 to become the group's other qualifier. In the Round of 32, they lost 3-2 in Minsk, and followed that up with a big 5-0 win at home to take the aggregate victory. Up next, they had little trouble with Eisbaren Berlin, winning 10-2 on aggregate. In each of the CHL's first two seasons, Frolunda has reached the Final both times. They'll now have to go through a fellow SHL opponent to get back to the Semi-Finals.

Casey

Wellman

5+4, +5

 

Top Forward & CRAMO Top Scorer: By regularly scoring points in KHL, AHL and NHL, Casey Wellman is a well-scouted recruitment by the Gothenburg-based club. With 9 points, Wellman leads Frolunda in CHL scoring, including 4 points in the two games vs Berlin. Of couse, Wellman joins a crop of Frolunda forwards that know what this tournament is all about, such as Mats Rosseli-Olsen, Johan Sundstrom and captain Joel Lundqvist, who have been to the CHL Final in back-to-back years, and surely have their sights set on a third trip.  

Henrik

Tommernes

1+4, +5

 

Top Defenceman: Henrik Tommernes was one of the best defencemen in last season's Swedish Hockey League, finishing fifth among d-men in the league scoring league and leading all defencemen in points in the CHL. Tommernes scored 9 goals on the power play in the SHL, which was second in the whole league. This season, he's once again leading SHL defencemen and all Frolunda players in scoring with 20 points so far. He started slowly in the CHL win no points in the group stage, but picked up 3 in the two games with Minsk. Jacob Larsson, John Nyberg and new recruit Jonathan Sigalet are other players to watch on the back end.

Johan

Gustafsson

90.29 %

 

Top Goaltender: Johan Gustafsson came to Frolunda before last season and had a really tough start, quite quickly being recognized as a backup to Lars Johansson, who was having a career year. Gustafsson would get his chance to shine as Johansson was injuried in the playoffs, and Gustafsson took advantage of that chance. He turned out to be the title-winning goaltender he was supposed to be and was a huge reason why Frolunda managed to win the SHL title. Now, he's the clear starting goalie ahead of Dan Bakala, and has been steady when pressed into action.  

Click here for team statistics.