The queues wound their way long around ERP Monitor Arena in Gävle ahead of the home premiere of Brynäs. That the moment was long-awaited, after a year in Hockeyallsvenskan, was evident not least when the fans in the packed stands got to create the atmosphere before the first face-off with loud singing and tifo around the entire arena.
It was goosebumps. I don't know what my pulse was during the lineup, but it was through the roof for the first few minutes, you were a bit shaky in your hands, says Brynäs NHL-returnee Jakob Silfverberg to TV4 Play.
Brynäs slacked off
However, there were no Brynäs goals in the first period, where the home team slacked off and allowed several turnovers. The guests took advantage of this and at 10:55 into the match, Frölunda's Finnish forward Mikael Ruohomaa put the puck in the goal.
Halfway into the second period, a new Brynäs blunder again gave away a turnover and a breakaway for Frölunda, whose forward Linus Weissbach netted (0-2).
But then the home fans got to cheer as Jakob Silfverberg, in a chaotic situation, managed to stretch out his arm and club and push in a reduction to 1-2, in power play, lying on the ice amidst a throng of players.
"Oh, ah, say oh, ah, Silfverberg" rolled around the stands at deafening volume.
And just 1:10 after that goal, the equalizer came to 2-2 after Silfverberg had set up the Frölunda goal and precision-played the puck to Miks Indrasis at the post.
First SHL goals
In the beginning of the third period, it was the home team's turn to take advantage of a turnover that gave a two-on-zero breakaway for Greg Scott and Anton Ohlsson.
The seasoned 36-year-old Scott passed over to 19-year-old Gävle native Olsson, who scored his first SHL goal in his career when he lifted the puck into the top shelf to make it 3-2.
A little over three minutes later, Bobby Trivigno, an American recruit from AHL, also scored his first SHL goal when he made it 4-2.
Oskar Lindblom added to the score with 5-2 in an empty net in a match that ended 5-3 after Frölunda netted in power play in the very last second.
