Last year, Linköping won all four matches against Malmö. But in the first hockey meeting of the new season, Malmö stood as the winner – their second win this fall during regular time and their first since the premiere against Skellefteå (4–1).
It feels like we have more in us, says captain Fredrik Händemark to TV4 Play.
Händemark could also celebrate his 500th SHL match.
It's a lot of matches, he says.
After a goalless first period, it took six minutes before the goal drought was broken. It was Linköping's new American center Nick Shore who scored his first goal for LHC.
Malmö then scored two goals within 1.53 minutes, through Otto Stenberg and Lassi Thomson.
Thomson, the Finnish newcomer from AHL, later laid a penalty, which did not yield a result.
The score became 3–1 in the second minute of the third period through Axel Sundberg.
Ty Rattie then scored Linköping's reducing goal with 42 seconds left of the match. But despite the goalkeeper Christian Heljanko leaving the ice, they failed to achieve a tie.
We're hard to beat right now. Our defensive play is stable and secure. We're sticking together more as a team and protecting the middle better, says Händemark about the improvements this season.
Linköping has been inconsistent throughout the seven first matches of the fall and is now tenth in the table with 10 points, one fewer than Malmö, who is seventh.
We're pale, slow, and hesitant. Malmö wins fairly, no question about it, says Linköping's coach Klas Östman, who acknowledges that it's frustrating that the team can't find consistency in the matches.
We're still oscillating, he notes.
