Vasteras vs Almtuna

The first period was a tight, scrappy affair dominated by special teams — but not in the hosts' favour. Vasteras took three minor penalties in the opening 20 minutes, handing Almtuna a string of powerplay opportunities. The visitors fired six shots on goal during those advantages but could not beat VIK goaltender Benedikt Oschgan, who held firm. The period finished 0-0 after a chippy 20 minutes in which Almtuna controlled the territorial battle.

The game flipped entirely in the second period. Almtuna began taking penalties of their own, and Vasteras made them pay on every occasion. Theo Keilin opened the scoring at 02:08 of the middle frame, burying a wrist shot from the slot after Liam Engström turned the puck up ice through the neutral zone and fed the centerman in stride — 1-0 on the powerplay.

Just over three minutes later, Keilin turned provider. The centerman found Engström in the high slot, and the winger's one-timer beat Almtuna goaltender Erik Forslund cleanly at 05:20 — 2-0, also on the powerplay.

The powerplay hat-trick was completed at 08:50. Defender Jimmie Jansson Lorek stepped into a slap shot from the blue line after Emil Ekholm's crisp cross-ice pass, and the puck appeared to deceive Forslund on its way in — 3-0. All three second-period goals came with the man advantage.

The third period began with Almtuna pulling one back. Anton Ohlsson redirected a feed from Bruno Osmanis past Oschgan at 40:47 (00:47 of P3) to make it 3-1. But Vasteras restored their three-goal lead barely 90 seconds later when Emil Ekholm pounced on a defensive turnover and fired home unassisted at 42:17 (02:17 of P3) to make it 4-1.

Almtuna were awarded a penalty shot later in the final period but could not convert, and Vasteras comfortably saw out the win.

The second period. After a disjointed first 20 minutes in which Vasteras took three minor penalties and struggled to establish any rhythm, they emerged for the middle frame a different team. Almtuna's discipline wavered — they took three minors of their own — and Vasteras' powerplay unit, featuring the quick puck movement of Olsson, Engström and Keilin, punished every infraction. Three goals on three powerplay opportunities in the period turned a nervy 0-0 into a commanding 3-0 lead. Head coach Wikstrand noted after the match that the team had barely practised special teams before this game, making the execution even more encouraging.

Theo Keilin (Vasteras) — The centerman opened the scoring with a clinical finish and added a primary assist on Engström's goal, winning 12 of 21 faceoffs (57%). Two points and reliable work on the dot in a pre-season fixture.

Liam Engström (Vasteras) — The winger was the best forward on the ice with a goal and an assist plus excellent transitional play. His neutral-zone awareness directly created Keilin's opening goal.

Benedikt Oschgan (Vasteras) — The Austrian goaltender stopped 26 of 27 shots faced, including several high-danger chances during Almtuna's first-period powerplay. His calm, positional game gave Vasteras the platform to build their lead.

Anton Olsson (Vasteras) — The defender contributed a primary assist on the opening goal and was credited with a dominant 8-0 net-positive rating in independent tracking. His physical play included a heavy hit on former VIK forward Nikodemus Wernquist.

The shot clock read 38-27 in Vasteras' favour (8-15, 9-3, 21-9 by period), a stat that flatters the hosts' overall dominance. The first period was actually Almtuna's territory (15-8 shots), and the 5v5 chance count was dead even at 13-13 across the full 60 minutes according to independent tracking. The decisive gap came on special teams: Vasteras scored on all three second-period powerplays, while Almtuna went 0-for-6 with the man advantage and missed a penalty shot. For a pre-season fixture, the 12 combined minor penalties (4 for VIK, 7 for AIS, plus a fighting major each) told the story of a choppy game where powerplay execution decided everything.

Vasteras now have one win and one loss in pre-season action after the 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to Leksand on 7 August 2026. They do not play again until 25 August, when they travel to Mora for their third friendly. Almtuna, meanwhile, continue their pre-season schedule with a home fixture against HV71 on 20 August at Gränbyhallen. For a Vasteras side that has undergone significant roster turnover this summer, the powerplay chemistry shown here — particularly between Keilin, Engström and Olsson — is an early positive indicator ahead of the HockeyAllsvenskan season.

A pre-season game decided entirely by special teams. Vasteras' powerplay was lethal (3/3), their penalty kill survived a heavy workload, and Oschgan's goaltending provided a reliable last line. Almtuna will be frustrated by their inability to capitalise on first-period momentum, but there were enough 5v5 positives — the chance counts were even — for Jonas Almtorp's side to build on.