It was not unexpected that Lindberg's club was involved in the important 2-1 goal in the second period.
The 34-year-old, born and raised in Skellefteå, is the spearhead of the Västerbotten team's razor-sharp hockey offense. He dominated the regular season, and ahead of Monday's quarterfinal, the first in a best-of-seven series, Lindberg received the Golden Helmet - the award given to the most valuable player in the regular season and voted for by the players.
The visiting Malmö team kept him off the scoresheet. But when the home team had their first power-play opportunity, at the end of the second period, Lindberg was heavily involved in the opening goal. Lindberg shot cleanly into the post and Dane Mikkel Aagaard pounced on the rebound and slotted home 2–1.
"We know we have a good power play, it's always fun to get a payoff. It's nice to see the puck go in," Aagaard told TV4 Play after the second period.
The players' players
Together with Rickard Hugg, Lindberg and Aagaard form one of the SHL's most feared lines.
We have found good chemistry, me "Ogge" and Micke. So it's fun to play hockey, and it's fun when you feel like you click so well out there, Hugg tells TV4 Play.
On Oscar Lindberg being awarded the Golden Helmet, he says:
Absolutely right. He is by far the best player in the league. It is a privilege to play on the same team, and especially the same line, as him.
Won the regular season
Skellefteå won the regular season and went straight to the quarterfinals. Malmö finished eighth and therefore had to go through the round of 16 (2–1 in matches against Djurgården), but still had a strong first quarterfinal.
After Lauri Pajuniemi's 1-0 goal for Malmö just over six minutes into the second period, there was even a roar from the crowd. But Skellefteå responded immediately, with Jonatan Johnson scoring the equalizer just 15 seconds later.
Before the period was over, Mikkel Aagaard had completed the turnaround, and in the third period Emil Djuse put the nail in the coffin, 3–1, with a powerful shot, before Andreas Johnson scored the final 4–1 goal after Malmö pulled their goalkeeper.
The next match, also in Skellefteå, will be played on Wednesday.
