by Chipp Reid

AIK handed HV 71 just its fifth loss in its last 17 games, knocking off the league leaders 3-2 on Jan, 23 at the Hovet arena in Stockholm
Victor Ahlström notched the decisive goal at 19:30 of the second period as AIK shrugged off blowing a pair of leads in the game. The Gnaget fired 19 shots at Blue Bulls goalie Andreas Andersson in the second period, scoring twice.
Richard Zednik put AIK in front at 8:27 of the first period when he scored a power-play goal off a pass from Kent McDonell. AIK held HV 71 to a season-low four shots in the first period.
The Blue Bulls hit their rhythm briefly in the second period as Jesper Fasth tied the game at 1:45 of the stanza. Oscar Steen put AIK back on top just a minute later when he banged in a pass from Ahlstrom. HV 71 tied the game once more at 6:36 of the second when Martin Thornberg tallied off a pass from Kamil Pirol.
From that point on it was a battle of the goalies. AIK goal tender Viktor Fasth steered aside 13 straight shots to preserve the Gnaget lead while Andersson stopped 18 shots after Ahlström scored.
“It was great to take three points. We played a good match, right from the start,” said AIK and former NHL star Dick Tärnström.
HV 71 continues to top the standings with 74 points.

Frölunda 4, Djurgården 2
The Frölunda team vaulted over Modo and Brynäs to grab the seventh spot in the standings and a potential playoff spot with a 4-2 win over Djurgården Jan. 24 at the Scandinavium in Göteborg.
The Indians jumped out to a 3-0 lead as Jesper Mattsson and Joel Lundqvist scored 40 seconds apart in the first period. Mikko Mäenpää made it 3-0 when he scored at 1:36 of the second period.
DIF got on the scoreboard at 4:38 of the second thanks to a Stefan Lassen goal. Tomi Kallio restored the three-goal cushion for Frolunda when he notched his xx th goal of the season at 13:06 of the second.
Daniel Widing pulled a goal back for Djurgården at 13:08 of the third.
The win gave the Indians 60 points, two better than eighth-place Modo and now ninth-place Brynäs.