October 14th 2018
Storhamar vs Lillehammer IK 4-3 FINAL OT
(1-0, 1-1, 1-2, 1-0)
Storhamar scored the lone goal of the opening frame when Robin Dahlstrøm tipped in a blueline shot from Joel Johansson at the 16.32 mark. The goal came in a powerplay after a nice setup umbrella style. It had to be a good feeling for Dahlstrøm since he missed a monstrous opportunity a few minutes before when he was fed all alone in the low slot only to see a late defender stick robbing him. Joel Johansson also missed openly from the slot when Nils Bengtsberg saved it with his glove. The period was an evenly played affair and could have gone both ways since Lillehammer also had a couple of huge scoring chances. Oskar Östlund was tight between the pipes though and also had help from his plumbing on a couple of occasions.
The second act was dominated by end-to-end stuff. Both goalies had to work for their salaries and both of them bailed their team out of jail on several occasions. Östlund also had another date with the plumber. Two goals were scored though, one in each end. Lillehammer made the most of an odd man break-away when Parker Bowles was fed on the far side while the Yellows lit the lamp from an Aaron Irving wrister at the end of a powerplay a couple of minutes before the break.
Lillehammer turned things around in the third period by scoring twice before the four minute mark. Nick Dineen went top shelf from close range in the opening minute and then Adrian Saxrud Danielsen picked up the garbage through traffic three minutes later to lure the rubber cross the goal line.
Storhamar didn’t lay down and die even if they were a bit shocked by Lillehammer’s two tallies, and in stead Eirik Salsten took it back on level terms seven minutes into it when his close range deflection beat Bengtsberg five-hole. It was an important goal which also gave a huge boost to the moral.
The visitors had most of the chances to take all three points after that, especially during a couple of powerplays. But The Yellows held on to take it to overtime. Oskar Östlund was high and low to keep his team in it.
In the overtime period neither team had any huge opportunities to decide it until Jens Jakobs stole the rubber on Storhamar’s blueline. The Swede went all across the ice towards Bengtsberg and beat him top shelf on the glove side and thereby secured the extra point for Storhamar.