Andreas Hadelöv needed just one goal to put move Skellefteå one win from reaching the finals of the Elitserien playoffs. The SAIK goaltender stopped all 22 shots he faced as Skellefteå shut out Luleå 2-0 March 29 at the Skellefteå Kraft Arena in Game 5 of their semifinal series.
The win gave SAIK a 3-2 edge in the best-of-7 series.
Anders Söderberg scored at 9:45 of the first period to give Skellefteå a 1-0 lead and Hadelöv took over from there. The sometime-national team goalie twice stopped Luleå leading scorer Erik Forsell on point-blank efforts in the first period and came up huge in the third when Luleå pulled its own goalie, Anders Nilsson, for a sixth skater.
Although it swarmed the Skellefteå end, Luleå could not find a way past Hadelöv, who made a last-gasp, diving save on a Forsell shot to preserve the lead.
Jimmie Ericsson fired the puck nearly the length of the ice with 15 seconds left and deposited it in the empty net to put the game beyond reach.
The series continues March 31 at the Luleå Coop Arena.
by Chipp Reid