Under immense pressure in a sold-out arena, Rögle, fueled by their passionate Ängelholm crowd, mirrored their aggressive performance from the third game. AIK, sticking with the same lineup as game three, started cautiously, forcing their goaltender, Linus Söderström, to make some key saves in the scoreless first period.
The tide turned dramatically in the second period. Johnson opened the scoring for AIK with a fortunate deflection off a Rögle defender, leaving goaltender Christoffer Rifalk with no chance. AIK capitalized on this momentum, generating a flurry of dangerous opportunities that threatened to completely deflate Rögle's confidence. However, a controversial penalty against AIK's Petter Granberg shifted the momentum back in Rögle's favor. Anton Bengtsson capitalized on the power play, pulling Rögle level and reigniting the home crowd.
Despite a 1-1 score after two periods, AIK appeared to be the stronger team entering the third. While Rögle managed to recapture their aggressive play from the first period, AIK remained dangerous on the counterattack, narrowly missing on several scoring chances. A penalty against Anton Olsson in the eighth minute presented a golden opportunity for Rögle, but they were unable to replicate their earlier power-play success. AIK earned a power play of their own shortly after, but the period ended scoreless, forcing the first overtime of the series.
Both teams entered overtime brimming with confidence. AIK boasted a 5-1 record in overtime games throughout the playoffs, while Rögle held a perfect 4-0 record. The extra period was a close battle, but Johnson once again proved to be the difference-maker. After 12:40 of intense back-and-forth hockey, he found the back of the net, with a cheeky close-range nudge, sending AIK to victory and setting the stage for a potential championship-clinching game on home ice on Monday.
FAKTA
SM-final, game 4 of 7
Catena arena
Rögle–Skellefteå AIK 1–2 (OT). (0–0, 1–1, 0–0, 0–1)
Goals: 0–1 (22.31) Anderas Johnson (Pär Lindholm, Elias Salomonsson), 1–1 (35.54) Anton Bengtsson (Simon Ryfors, Dennis Everberg) five against four, 1–2 (72.40) Andreas Johnson (Axel Sandin Pellikka, Anton Olsson).
Shots 37–33
Pens: R: 5x2 S: 5x2
Referees: Tobias Björk, Mikael Holm.
Attendance: 6310 (sold-out)