Some last-minute heroics from Andreas Johnson lifted Skellefteå AIK 4-3 over hosts Red Bull Salzburg as the Swedes narrowly escaped with the win after relinquishing the lead twice in this Game Day 1 fixture.

Some slick passing got Skellefteå on the board first as the Swedes took the lead at 7:30 of the first period. A rush up ice led to a drop pass from Oskar Nilsson to Zeb Forsfjäll who used the defender as a screen as he wired one past Atte Tolvanen for a 1-0 edge.

Tolvanen would be the star of the period, however, as he continued to get pelted with pucks, facing 11 shots total, but only giving up one. Meanwhile, Salzburg only managed to put three shots on Gustaf Lindvall as the visitors were dominant in the opening frame.

Play picked up in the second with both sides scoring twice on the powerplay.

Salzburg started things off when Peter Schneider hammered a one-timer past the stick side of Lindvall. The CHL vet parked himself inside the near circle where Ryan Murphy found him and slid one right into his wheelhouse for Schneider's first of the season on the man-advantage.

It wouldn't take long for Skellefteå to regain the lead, however, as Nilsson netted his second on the Swedes' fifth powerplay opportunity. Some quick stick work earned the Swedes a partial 2-on-1 when they stole the puck inside the zone allowing Marcus Eriksson to gain possession and feed it across to Nilsson who made no mistake. Moments later on the same powerplay, Johnson was able to increase the goal gap once again when he tipped home a slap pass to extend his club's lead to 3-1.

But the hosts managed to cut into the deficit a little after the midpoint of the period thanks to Thomas Raffl's shot from the slot. Ryan Murphy hauled the puck into the zone before dishing it to Benjamin Nissner who turned and dealt it to Raffl who rifled it between the pads and the stick of Lindvall to give Salzburg their second powerplay marker of the game and some life heading into the third period.

The comeback continued into the third with the hosts finding their third marker three and half minutes into the period when Lucas Thaler secured the equaliser with his first of the year off a cross-ice feed from Troy Bourke.

But then the dagger came late in the third period when a backhander from Johnson put Skellefteå back in front with less than three minutes to go.

The home side made a last ditch effort in the closing minutes to try and tie the contest, but Lindvall thwarted any attempt by Salzburg to complete the comeback and with Johnson's tally, the Swedes were able to find a way to get the full three points.