Toy flags on every flagpole throughout the countryside, and an almost crowded home arena.
Before the match it was not noticed that Leksand is last in the SHL table. Fans believe in their hockey team. But when the match started, the valley people really did race.
The first period against Frölunda was playfully smooth and speechless. Simon Hjalmarsson in Frölunda summarized it in a good way in C More:
-They have a lot of zone time on us but they don't get the dangerous chances.
Effectively Frölunda
In the second period, Frölunda showed impressive efficiency and decided the match.
First through two goals on two occasions in powerplay and then through Simon Hjalmarsson's 3-0 goal after one of a few Frölund attacks when both teams had full crew on the ice.
By extension, the three goals meant that Frölunda broke its heavy suite of four straight away losses. It was really a relief among the Frölunda players that the strange curse was broken.
The match nevertheless received an unexpectedly exciting finish. Until 13.30 of the last period, Frölunda played confidently and safely on the result. Then Daniel Gunnarsson suddenly made 1-3 for Leksand and a few minutes later came 2-3 with Martin Karlsson.
Frölunda, however, managed the press when Nicklas Lasu scored 4-2 (his second goal of the evening) in empty Leksandsbur.
Without self-confidence
Leksand is a team completely without confidence, a team of players who look scared on the ice. An example was when Filip Johansson had a good finish in the second period, but chose a pass too much instead of shooting.
Patrik Zackrisson explained in C More what all the lessons on the stand have already realized:
-It is good to have confidence when we have played 38 games, have 34 points and are last in the series. It sucks. It's a lot about self-confidence. We do a fairly even (second) period. They put it there. We don't