Following three one-goal losses that made for their worst run of the season, a goalless first period for Frolunda against Linkoping would only have ramped up the nerves. However, things were looking up for the leaders when Linus Weissbach broke the deadlock on a powerplay early in the second.
The dark days looked to be over for the Gothenburg side inside the last seven minutes of period two, when Max Martin's holding call was capitalised on by Filip Cederqvist on the powerplay.
But Frolunda were in for a shock, as Jakub Vrana not only pulled one back before the 40-minute mark, but grabbed an equaliser with just under 14 minutes left on the clock.
Then, the home side were left stunned when Nick Shore completed the turnaround to put Linkoping 3-2 ahead. That prompted Frolunda to pull the goaltender, which only heralded more back luck, as the visitors stole possession and Robin Kovacs found the empty net to make it four unanswered.
Ivar Stenberg pulled one back to set up a grandstand finish, but Linkoping held on for a 4-3 win, their first victory in three, as they remain down in 11th place. Frolunda have now suffered 40% of their total SHL defeats this season in the past nine days.
What looked like an unassailable lead for Frolunda is now down to just three points, and would have been fewer had Skelleftea not needed overtime to beat Brynas 4-3 away from home.
Things started brightly for the visitors when Jonathan Pudas put them ahead after less than a minute, but Brynas responded through Tyler Vesel in the opening minute of period two, before Robert Hagg and Bobby Trivigno goals had them dreaming of an upset.
But Skelleftea kept their cool, reducing the deficit through Rickard Hugg late in the second, then with just 63 seconds left in regulation, Oscar Lindberg grabbed an equaliser to take the game to overtime.
With the momentum behind them, the yellow and blacks snatched the win three minutes into the extra period, with goalscorers Pudas and Lindberg combining to set up Mikkel Aagaard three minutes in. It's now 10 wins in 11 for Skelleftea, as Brynas slip to eighth following a first defeat in four.
Third-placed Rogle returned to winning ways thanks to two Karson Kulhman goals making the difference in their 3-1 win over Timra. They are 11 points shy of Skelleftea and a point clear of Vaxjo, for whom Keegan Lowe notched twice as they cruised to a 4-1 win over strugglers Leksand.
That pair have pulled clear of Malmo, who fell to a 5-2 home defeat as victims of Djurgarden's resurgence, but the fifth-placed Redhawks stay in five points clear of Lulea, who conceded one shorthanded and one powerplay goal to Jonathan Ang in their 2-1 loss to HV 71.
HV remain in the bottom two but are now level on points with Orebro, who failed to find a way past Emil Larmi, who made 27 saves in Farjestad's 3-0 win. It's four wins in five now for seventh-placed Farjestad, for whom Filip Roos joined the ranks of players scoring two goals this evening.