Malmo suffered a surprise loss to Orebro last time out to end the four-match winning run that had earned them top-six status, and things were not about to get easier with a trip to Skelleftea.
Having wasted a pair of powerplays in a goalless first period, Malmo fell behind midway through the match as Oliver Okuliar gave Skelleftea the lead. However, that lead lasted just three minutes, as a penalty for the visitors was dispatched by Robin Hanzl.
But in the third period, Skelleftea showed exactly why they have been in such hot form, as Rickard Hugg restored the lead on a powerplay in the second minute, before two goals in under a minute from Andreas Johnson and Oskar Vuollet allowed the home side to cruise to a 4-1 victory.
Malmo remain in fifth place but now trail Vaxjo by three points, after the Lakers ran out 4-1 winners over Djurgarden to earn a first three-point victory of 2026. The Stockholm side are in eighth place following a third loss in their last four.
The Redhawks still have a six-point cushion from those outside the top six, while Skelleftea are still nine points off the top, after Jere Innala scored two crucial points for Frolunda to beat Timra 2-1 - the leaders' second win in a row, as Timra's winning run ends at three matches.
Knocking Timra out of the top six are Lulea, who eased past Orebro 3-1 for a third win in a row that takes them a point clear of the reds. Following a pair of impressive wins, Orebro failed to draw level on points with Farjestad, and stay in 11th place.
Comfortably in third place are Rogle, who eased their fears of being dragged into the battle for the top six by recording a shutout against Linkoping in a 4-0 away win.
Albin Sundsvik got the away side on the board in the seventh minute, before the Angelholm side struck another three unanswered in period two - two of which came from Dennis Everberg, as Paul LaDue also got his name on the scoresheet.
Linkoping only managed four shots on goal in the final period, and 14 in total, but take nothing away from Rogle goaltender Arvid Holm, who saved all 14 and assisted the fourth goal on a memorable night.
That ends a run of two without a win for Rogle, who remain seven points behind Skelleftea, while Linkoping are still hovering above the bottom two after three successive losses.
Linkoping's lead over said bottom two is now down to just four points, after HV 71 spoiled Cam Abbott's first match in charge of Farjestad, as HV scored five times in the second period to earn a 5-3 home win, their first victory in three games.
Abbott is tasked with turning around a team who has now lost six matches in a row and dropped to 10th place, having spent much of the campaign in and around the top six.
Overtaking Farjestad in this round were Brynas, who sealed a second two-point win in a row thanks to Kieffer Bellows' overtime goal in a 5-4 victory over Leksand, who are now five points adrift at the bottom. Brynas climb to ninth following a fourth win in their last five SHL matches.