HERSHEY, PA — The Washington Capitals signed Finnish center Henrik Borgstrom as an unrestricted free agent over the offseason. With Nicklas Backstrom out due to hip resurfacing surgery, Borgstrom provided the organization with center depth at the NHL level — the six-foot-three, 199-pound forward had played 110 career games with the Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks coming into the year — and the 25-year-old would be a welcome veteran presence with the Hershey Bears if he couldn’t stick in DC.
Fast forward 10 months later, Borgstrom provided his biggest goal to date for the organization, scoring the overtime winner in Game One to give the Bears a 1-0 series lead over a hot Hartford Wolf Pack team.
"The comeback is complete! The Bears take Game 1!"
Borgy's big moment had @zackfisch and Mitch Lamoureux besides themselves in the booth 🎙 pic.twitter.com/BlCy25CFQf
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) May 12, 2023
Borgstrom’s game-winner was courtesy of some great backchecking by Garrett Pilon who intercepted a pass in the defensive zone and sprung the forward on a two-on-one break down the right wing. With a Wolf Pack defender leaning more towards Joe Snively, a poised Borgstrom skated the puck to the middle of the ice and beat Dylan Garand, the best netminder in the Calder Cup playoffs, to the far side of the net and unleashing a huge celebration at Giant Center.
Bears. Beets. Borgstrom. pic.twitter.com/Ef9PGHfu3E
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) May 12, 2023
Borgstrom was the game’s First Star of the Night and received a hero’s welcome in the locker room.
POV: you score the game-winning overtime goal and you're joining your teammates in the room
The boys were BUZZING last night pic.twitter.com/iQMN1UwQYJ
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) May 12, 2023
“We were hungry,” Borgstrom said. “Hungry to win the game. We thought we were playing well and we were really sure that we would come out on top.”
The moment was an unexpected one for Borgstrom who lost his spot in the lineup after getting an NHL promotion to the Capitals late in the season. Borgstrom made his Capitals’ debut against the Boston Bruins on April 11. When he came back, Riley Sutter had impressed the coaching staff enough with his physicality and penalty killing to begin the postseason as the team’s starting fourth-line center.
With Michael Sgarbossa, Connor McMichael, and Hendrix Lapierre centering the first three lines, Borgstrom found himself in a surprising predicament considering his talent: on the outside looking in for a lineup spot. Borgstrom was a healthy scratch during Hershey’s entire second-round series against the Charlotte Checkers, missing all four games.
But after an injury to first-line center Michael Sgarbossa in Game Four against the Checkers, Bears head coach Todd Nelson plugged Borgstrom onto the first line with Mike Vecchione and Ethen Frank for the start of Round 3. The move instantly paid off as the line showed great chemistry despite being without one of the AHL’s best centers.
“You know what? We talk about our depth and with Mike Sgarbossa out, we’re thinking, ‘who would fit in with that line?’ because I didn’t want to touch the other three lines,” Nelson said. “The other three lines are playing really well. It’s good chemistry. He fits that bill.”
Combined with Hershey’s bye in the first round, Borgstrom did not play in a game for a long time.
“It’s kind of weird, not being playing for the last month,” Borgstrom said. “I felt way more nervous before the game. [Wednesday], too, I was getting fired up about it. But, you know, once the game starts, it’s all about the adrenaline running through your veins and it just takes over, the whole game. The game was good. It was a hard-fought game and we were able to win.”
When asked where the goal ranked for him in his career, Borgstrom flashed his gap-toothed smile.
“Pretty high up,” he said. “I don’t know if I can do the list right now. But yeah, definitely up there.”
Pilon, who had the primary assist on the game-winner, was happy for his teammate. The team has an embarrassment of riches on its roster — many of its veterans and black aces like Matt Strome, Alexander Suzdalev and Bogdan Trineyev — would be playing on other teams.
“It’s a huge thing for him,” Pilon said. “It’s real hard, we have such a deep team and when we’re healthy, there’s going to be an odd man out and you’re not really sure who it’s going to be, because it all depends on the lineup combinations and who, what, and where kind of thing. I think he stepped in and did a hell of a job. To score that goal for us, it’s absolutely huge. Kudos to him for coming in here and playing such a great game.”
“Hopefully that gives him some confidence moving forward,” Nelson added. “You only dress 20 players and we have many good hockey players that are not playing right now.”
Henrik Borgstrom wins it in overtime for Hershey on a 2-on-1 break! pic.twitter.com/ZiufBf3Sft
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) May 12, 2023
Photo: Tori Hartman/Hershey Bears
