HV71 Women came to Stockholm and scored six without reply against Djurgården on Saturday in the Swedish Women's Hockey League. The away side made light work of a home side that had looked uncertain all season. By then, the result felt inevitable rather than surprising.
Our prediction had gone the other way. We backed Djurgården with confidence, but the match simply refused to follow that line. The visitors were sharper from the first whistle and never let the hosts back into it.
What does the table actually say right now? Djurgården sit ninth after three games, one win and two defeats. HV71 are fourth after four matches, two wins and two losses. And here's the thing — both crews have zero points between them, which tells you the league is still finding its shape.
Djurgården's recent run had been patchy at best. They beat SDE HF Women 4-1 in September, but lost to Brynäs 2-1 on their last outing. HV71 came into this off a heavy 4-1 defeat to Ferestad, yet answered with something entirely different.
The away side have hit a wall in some quarters but also carved through weaker opposition when required. Six goals on the road, and the visitors showed they can compete at this level. Djurgården, meanwhile, ran out of legs and ideas.
The scoreline settles the matter for now. HV71 move closer to the top half while Djurgården add another defeat to their growing collection. One loss ends it, but six goals without reply? That price has gone.
