Club Friendly· Season 2026
HV71 beat Almtuna 4-1 in a pre-season friendly at Gränby Ishall in Uppsala, making it two wins in two days of pre-season action.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
HV71 controlled the opening period, establishing a multi-goal lead before the first intermission. The visitors' speed through the neutral zone caused persistent problems for Almtuna's defence, and they capitalised on two of their early scoring chances to take a commanding lead.
Almtuna found some footing in the second period, pulling one back to make it 2–1 and briefly threatening a comeback. The goal sparked the home crowd at Gränby Ishall, but HV71 responded before the period was out, restoring their two-goal cushion.
The third period saw HV71 add a fourth goal on the counter-attack, effectively ending any remaining doubts. Almtuna pressed late but could not find a way through HV71's defensive structure.
Detailed goal-scorer and assist information was not available from the official provider at the time of writing.
The turning point
Almtuna's second-period goal cut the deficit to 2–1 and gave the hosts real momentum, but HV71's immediate response — finding the net within three minutes of the Almtuna goal — killed the comeback before it could build. Conceding so quickly after scoring is a pattern Almtuna will want to address before their regular season begins.
Key performers
HV71's forward line showed sharp finishing, converting four of their high-danger chances. The team's depth, rotating through four lines on the second night of back-to-back games, suggests strong squad conditioning early in camp.
For Almtuna, the lone goal-scorer stood out in an otherwise difficult afternoon. The goal was a well-worked team effort that showed what the side can do when they break the SHL team's forecheck cleanly.
What it means
HV71 continue their pre-season unbeaten run under head coach Niklas Eriksson, who returned to Gränby having previously coached Almtuna between 2013 and 2017 (Source: hurbra.se). Several players with Almtuna connections featured for the visitors: defenceman Olle Alsing is an Almtuna product, and goaltender Herman Liv played for the Uppsala club last season before returning to HV71.
For Almtuna, this was the second pre-season defeat after a 4–1 loss to Västerås earlier in August. The gap to SHL opposition is evident, but the period of competitiveness in the second frame offers a building block.
Verdict
A straightforward pre-season win for the SHL side, who looked a class above for most of the 60 minutes. Almtuna will take encouragement from their second-period response, but the scoreline accurately reflected the gulf in quality on the day.
Match Events
Almtuna and HV 71 have met 4 times — Almtuna won 0, HV 71 won 4, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2021. HV 71 leads the head-to-head with 4 victories from 4 meetings. A combined 25 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 6.25 per match (10 for the home side, 15 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 4 matches (100%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 4 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. HV 71 are currently unbeaten in the last 4 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 4–5 in 2021.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 21 Aug 2026