Interplay AIK secured fifth place: "Great victory"

Some days, sports can look easy. The evening at Tegera Arena was such a day for AIK.

After a speechless first period, Lisa Johansson broke the zero in second for the guests. And after that it just rolled on.

AIK crowned the final period with three goals in six minutes, where a solo performance by experienced Line Bialik Öien to 2-0 was the starting shot.

The team was interplayed, had a lot of traffic in front of goal and seemed to know exactly where they had each other on the ice. The best example was the 4-0 goal: a display of skillful pass play that ended with close-range shots signed by Sabina Küller.

- Very nice victory to bring in the playoffs. We come out and do above all a good first period, where we set the pace and show that we are moving forward, AIK's Fanny Rask tells SVT Sport.

Leksand, who has had a swinging season where the team started with seven straight losses but is now playoff clear, got a consolation goal at the end.

Team captain Hanna Sköld felt that there was no focus.

- We have a good feeling before we go in and start the match. But it doesn't feel like we're here today. It's boring.

For AIK, the victory means that the team finishes fifth in the basic series. For Leksand, which is currently in eighth place in the table, a meeting with SDE awaits tomorrow.

- We want to get a nice feeling in the playoffs, we go in to win tomorrow and take that seventh place, says Hanna Sköld.

AIK is very likely to meet the table lighthouse and the Stockholm rivals Djurgården in the playoff phase.

- It's always fun with a derby so we look forward to it, says Fanny Rask.

Another match that stood out during the evening was the goal-setting Russian between Linköping-Luleå, which ended with Luleå winning 4-3 in sudden. Despite the loss, Linköping can be pleased with the secured playoffs.