New York. It’s been a tough week for Calgary, but Mikael Backlund made sure it ended on a high note.
With outstanding control going into overtime, he decides tonight’s game at home against the New York Rangers.
“It felt incredibly nice to see this puck,” the hero tells Sportbladet after the 3-2 victory that ended the Blueshirts’ seven-match winning streak.
Fortified in the battle of the lines, the Calgary Flames need all the points they can get, so the results earlier this week hit hard.
– Yes, it was very difficult. We lost to Ottawa even though we thought we should have won and then had a really bad game against Detroit,” says Mikael Backlund on the phone from his hometown in Alberta.
– So we went out tonight with a lot of energy.
Yes, it was noticed. The hosts de facto led 2-0 in the first minute – before the guests from New York seemed to understand that the game had begun.
But then there were no more goals at home during normal game time and Rangers, after several full-backs and forwards, managed to pull back and level.
Incredibly nice to see him come in.
However, when Adam Fox was sent off for a high stick during extra time, it was Mikkes who ensured that the tough week had a happy ending.
– We rolled really well and when I saw Jonathan Huberdeau got the puck on the blue line and he had a good shooting trajectory, I looked for the box. We had a little bit of eye contact, I showed him the club and he fired to take control, continues the 33-year-old Westerner.
It didn’t go well for us in extra time this year, so it was very nice to see that ball go in and decide such an important game at home.
With the win, the Flames are back on the brink of the playoffs, but everyone involved knows there’s likely to be a rally along the way.
– Yes, it’s as if the playoffs have already begun. It’s just a matter of being focused and giving it your all in the remaining 26 matches, says champ Backlund.
And so, the Rangers had to go on a seven-game winning streak, but picked up points for their tenth straight game and still looked reasonably satisfied.
“If someone had said beforehand that we were going to take seven of our eight points during the road trip we were on, we probably would have loved it,” says defender Ryan Lindgren.
It was a tie between Sweden’s two biggest back-to-back stars in San Jose last night – but Rasmus Dahlin won.
Yes, both he and Erik Carlson were signed on to help out in the meeting between the Sharks and Sabers, but the guests came away with a 4-2 win.
And that was heavy because every other team in the Eastern Conference race—Pittsburgh, New York Islanders, Washington, Detroit, and Florida—lost. So now swords are attached to it again.
– It took us a while to get started after the All-Star break, but now we’ve found our rhythm again, says Tage Thompson.
The hot Los Angeles Kings were about to do it at home against the Arizona Coyotes.
After one period they were leading 5-1, but when the final whistle sounded it was 5-5.
So it was only when Adrian Kempe pucked in during the shootout that the two points were secured.
– not good. Champion teams don’t lose like this. We should have shut them out after the first period, Coach Todd McClellan grumbles.
Young Swedish defender Viktor Soderström got his first point of the season in the form of an assist.
Like Buffalo, Detroit, after a string of impressive wins, got a golden opportunity to storm Seattle’s East line last night, but it didn’t. The loss was 4-2 against the Kraken.
In Las Vegas, the Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning battled it out over playoff-style drama — and the Golden Knights ended up winning 5-4.
– I especially liked our third period, says coach Bruce Cassidy.
Victor Hedman caught two passes for Tampa and William Carlson for Vegas.
Columbus, who managed to edge out West-ranked Dallas – after a goal from Adam Bukvist and an assist from Emil Bemstrom – was responsible for the roar of the night.
Results from earlier Saturday: Nashville stunned with a 7-3 thrashing of Florida, Boston beat a tired New York Islanders 6-2 and Colorado beat seeded St. Louis 4-1.