GOTHENBURG, Sweden – Frolunda Gothenburg took their second consecutive CHL title, this time on home ice, when Nicklas Lasu scored the golden goal 1:27 into the overtime in the final game against Sparta Prague.

“It’s a tough tournament to win, so we’re very happy for the win. They took over in the third so we were lucky getting to overtime. It was good for us to get the intermission,” said team captain Joel Lundqvist, CHL MVP, who also finished second in the CHL scoring race, tied in points with teammate Casey Wellman.

“I’m very proud of being the MVP but it doesn’t even come close to the team winning the title,” he added.

“This is awesome, the tournament is so fun to play. I’m proud of the guys. It’s cool to win the scoring title, but the win is awesome,” Wellman said.

The Champions Hockey League got the final it deserved. Not that the previous finals would have been disappointing, far from it, but maybe the fact that this year’s edition featured a Swedish and a Czech team, instead of it being an all-Swedish final or a Finnish-Swedish affair, pushed both teams more.

The 3-on-3 overtime capped a fast-paced and thrilling final, in which Sparta started strong, and finished strong, with Frolunda controlling the game the rest of the way.

For Lundqvist and Co, it was the first time they got to play in the final, and win it, on their home ice.

“It’s a relief and huge joy at the same time. It was a great game, as a final should be. Also, both teams’ fans created a fantastic atmosphere, this was hockey at its best,” the Frolunda captain said, referring to a few hundred Sparta fans who had made the trek to Gothenburg.

Nothing beats the sweet taste of victory, added Frolunda’s Finnish winger Sean Bergenheim.

“Winning is always great, and a player doesn’t get opportunities like this that often. We knew they’re a big, strong and skilled team, and they played well tonight. But we’re a strong team, too,” he said.

“As a player, it’s a great feeling to be able to say that we’re the best team in Europe and I hope the fans find the Champions Hockey League interesting too. The fans were awesome tonight, but we’ve played some games in front of fewer spectators than this,” he added.

The Frolundaborg arena, while not as big as Gothenburg’s main arena, the Scandinavium, provided a great setting for a great game. Hundreds of Sparta fans dressed in white made sure even the matchup in the stands stayed even throughout the game.

Martin Hostak, an analyst for Czech TV, does know Swedish hockey, thanks to his nine seasons in the SHL. He called Frolunda the favourite to win, but added that “Sparta has a chance if they survive the opening minutes.”

The pace of the game was furious from the get-go, as the players went back and forth at breakneck speed. Sparta more than survived the opening minutes as they peppered Johan Gustafsson with shots and after a long possession in the Frolunda zone, Lukas Cingel gave Sparta the lead in the game when it was just two-and-a-half minutes old. Gustafsson made three quick saves, but couldn’t stop the fourth one.

With the teams not knowing each other’s tendencies very well, it’s easy to fall back on stereotypes. Frolunda captain told IIHF.com before the game that he expected Sparta to play typical Czech hockey, with a lot of skill and a quick transition game. On the other hand, if there’s one virtue the Swedes are famous for, it’s patience. And it showed today, too.

About eight minutes into the period, Frolunda got a power-play opportunity. The Swedes had a top-ten power-play success rate in this season’s CHL, 25.45 percent, and once again, they were effective. The cycled the puck in the Sparta zone, got it to Henrik Tommenes on the point and Casey Wellman took care of the rebound, tying the game.

Moments later, Frolunda got on the power play again when Miroslav Forman got a five-minute slashing penalty after Patrik Carlsson was injured after he was hit in the throat.

Lundqvist’s fears of the quick Czech transition game were proven right when Jaroslav Hlinka and Petr Vrana got on a two-on-one after a Frolunda turnover on the offensive blueline. Hlinka, 40, showed that he can still more than keep up with the kids as he carried the puck into the zone and flipped a pass to Vrana, who gave Sparta a 2-1 lead.

Patiently, Frolunda continued their power play. With 7:54 remaining in the period, Lundqvist deflected a shot from the point, and tied the game. It was his league-leading 14th point in this season’s Champions Hockey League.

The second period was just as fast-paced, but Frolunda took a hold of the game and grabbed the lead for the first time before the period was halfway through when Wellman scored his second after Lundqvist had started the attack during a delayed penalty.

“I saw that they were a little tired, they had been in their zone a while. Victor (Ollofsen) made a really good play to me, and I saw I had a step on their defenceman so I just went to the net,” Wellman said.

It was also the Frolunda captain who gave Sparta an opening early in the third period with his offensive-zone slashing minor. Frolunda killed the penalty, but in the shift that followed, Sparta continued their pressure and their leading scorer Lukas Pech found Lukas Klimek in front of the net and is one-timer found its way to the back of the net, tying the game, and setting the table for a fairy-tale finish.

Unfortunately for the Czechs, the hosts got the prize.

“We have a few days off, so we’re going to celebrate this,” Wellman said.

RISTO PAKARINEN