Six teams are locked in a battle for the final four automatic playoff spot as the Swedish Hockey League enters the final month of its regular season.
First-place Skellefteå, 92 points, and second-place Frölunda, 85 points, are all but assured of reaching the playoffs, while Luleå, 77 points, Linköping, 74 points, Färjestad, 71 points, and Brynäs, 69 points, hold the four through six slots. Djurgården, 66 points, and defending champions Växjö Lakers, 64 points, are in seventh and eighth place. Under a new format, the top six teams automatically qualify for the playoffs. Teams in seventh to tenth place play a home-and-home series against one another, seventh vs. tenth, eighth vs. ninth, to round out the eight-team second round.

Färjestad lost ground in the latest round as its five rivals all won while Färjestad lost a tight 3-2 game to Växjö. American winger Travis Turnbull had a chance for Färjestad to send the game into overtime, but his shot with 16 seconds left in regulation time clanged off the goal post. In what could be a preview of the league finals, Skellefteå defeated Frölunda 4-1 as Niclas Burström, Adam Pettersson and Per Lindholm each had a goal and an assist to lead SAIK to the win. Skellefteå managed to hold league leading scorer Ryan Leach without a point. The American winger has 42 points from 13 goals and 29 assists, one point ahead second-place scorer Richard Gynge, who has 18 goals and 23 assists.