Nicklas Backstrom’s impressive start to the preseason continued on Thursday.
The former Washington Capitals centerman registered two assists in Brynäs IF’s 3-2 shootout loss to MoDo Hockey at Hägglunds Arena. The game marked the Super Swede’s second consecutive multi-point game since ending a nearly two-year pause to his hockey career and his tenure with the Washington Capitals in the NHL.
“After a rather slow start, I think we are working our way into the match. I think the bus trip was in our legs there,” Bäckström said of the team’s performance during the Expressen broadcast (via Hockey Sverige) and translated by Google Translate.
Both of Backstrom’s assists came on the power play.
His first apple came on a Johan Larsson strike in front of the net. After setting Greg Scott up for a one-timer, Larsson found the rebound and shot the puck quickly past MoDo’s Adam Werner, giving Brynäs a 1-0 lead with 11:12 remaining in the first period.
Backstrom notched another secondary assist in the second period. Skating the puck to the top of the right circle, Backstrom sent a pass down low to Johan Larsson, who quickly dished the puck to Jakob Silfverberg for a layup. The goal gave Brynäs a 2-0 lead 4:42 into the stanza.
Three of Backstrom’s first four points with Brynäs during the SHL exhibition season have come with an extra man, showing that his talent on the power play hasn’t left him.
“It is, of course, an important form of play,” Backstrom said of Brynäs’s power play. “It’s important to take advantage of the situations, and then it’s good to have preseason matches to practice and rehearse.”
Brynäs, however, could not hold onto the lead, surrendering consecutive goals to David Rundblad and Victor Berglund. After a scoreless overtime, MoDo came out on top after successful shootout attempts from Kyle Topping and Linus Andersson.
Backstrom again suited up as the second line center at five-on-five, skating with former NHL players Kieffer Bellows and Anton Rödin.
Bellows was lost in the first period due to what is believed to be an upper-body injury after colliding with Modo team captain David Rundblad. As he walked to the locker room, he flashed a thumbs up to Gefle Dagblad and said, “It’s okay.”
Brynäs has four more games in the preseason remaining before their SHL regular season opener against Vaxjo on September 13.
