Leksand, sweden, reached the playoff by a fourth place in the table and later profit in the hockeyallsvenskans slutspelsserie. Leksand defeated Västerås, Karlskoga, sweden, Modo, Västervik, sweden, and Karlskrona and was undefeated from slutspelsserien. The Playoff meeting with the AIK will be determined in best of three matches and it was Leksand won the first match.
Leksand coach Roger Melin with the past in that particular AIK was happy over the victory.
” It feels great to win the first match at bramall lane of course. I think that we perform the match in an intelligent and patient manner, then there are of course things to be desired offensively but the main thing was to win the match, ” he says.
the better the team the match through and put high pressure right from the start, something Melin expected.
” I thought almost that they would put an even higher pressure if I’m going to be honest. But there is a great hockey team and we knew it would be tough and have to defend ourselves pretty much. But I think we do it well, ” says Roger Melin.
The goalkeeper Axel Brage was matchhjälte for 36 of the 37 possible rescues.
” He’s really sharp today, but he has been very good for a long time now, it is fun to have him in the goal.
Leksand clear to qualify directly against Mora on the final SHL-site.
– It is that we continue to play with a great patience and not get carried away us. We need to really continue to work in the same way but we must keep in the puck a bit more than what we do today, ” says Melin.
Leksand would reach the playoff, it was not much indication on when the team found itself in a major crisis in the middle of december, 21 points from first place and nine straight losses. It resulted in the club sacked the coach Leif Carlsson and Roger Melin with tränarrutin from the SHL team Färjestad, Linköping, Frölunda and Brynäs were picked up.
After that it climbed Leksand badly and finished fourth in the table.
” We took very many points from christmas onwards and we have tried to develop the game in the right direction. We still took the points in many matches though we have not played very good, said Roger Melin.
the Team had eight points, up to the top two placements which meant hockeyallsvenskt final round for a qualifying to the SHL. The positions were nothing like the Melin felt was possible to achieve given tabelläget when he took office.
– It was far too big distance up there, we were just a few points from relegation when I jumped in, so it was unreasonable to believe that we would reach the top two. The team has done well and we have lift us, to end up four was a really good performance.
the underlying factors to The strong performance of recent months.
– Revanschlusten from the fall and that the players wanted to show that Leksand is a good team. Then we have perhaps played more for winning games than the bidding on a neat game, we have managed to find ways to win, ” says Melin.
Leksand played last in the SHL season 2016-2017 where the team already after one season went out. Leksand lost the qualifying for continued play in the SHL in the derby against Mora with a total of 4-2 in matches.
the Next play-off match against AIK played in the Valleys on Sunday.