"Brilliant" was the rating the TV commentators put on Marcus Högberg after the final signal went off. And the teammates did not hold back on the praise after the match.

- Everything was thanks to Högberg. He stood there fixing two points. I wish we could have eased his burden in the first period but he just showed how good a goalkeeper he is, says forward Brady Tkachuk to the Ottawa Citizen after the game.

Backen Dylan DeMelo agrees:

- Without him we won't win the match and it's that simple. He was excellent, he tells the newspaper.

After lasting losses in the extension in the last three games started, it was finally time for Högberg to taste the sweetness of the victory.

Calgary shot and fired at the 25-year-old goalkeeper from Örebro. 15 shots in the first period. 14 shots in the second.

But Högberg had decided to wall the box again, including with an important club extension in the second period. First just over 14 minutes into the final period, the zero broke. But then it did not do much purely in terms of results, because Ottawa, despite significantly fewer fired shots, built up a reassuring 4-0 lead.

The first victory of the year

Högberg was forced to let in another one with two minutes left of the match, which ended 5-2. Ottawa was thus able to collect the first two points of the year, and Marcus Högberg his first victory since December 19, which in turn was his first in the North American professional league.

That Högberg was named the best player of the match did not come as a surprise.

- He was outstanding. He has fixed points in four straight games. He gave us all chances to win the previous three matches and was very good again. It's good for the team and everyone behind having a young guy playing at this level, says coach DJ Smith at the press conference after the game.

Högberg himself had some difficulty finding the words in the interviews in the dressing room after the match.

- It was obviously great to get a win during regular match time. I have to have patience and just do what I do, and work hard, and then - just like today - we can win victories, he says.

Nilsson still injured

The form message from Högberg is needed for Ottawa, who suffers from the goalie's colleague Anders Nilsson is still listed on the injury list after a concussion on December 16. According to TSN, Nilsson was back on the ice already on New Year's Day and trained. Recently, however, he has not trained and there is no information on when the 29-year-old from Luleå may be ready for a match again. According to Smith, he is undergoing rehabilitation.

- It is a big hole and he has played some really good hockey for us. But we would not have seen Högberg if he had not disappeared. And Högberg has played really well and really showed us that he can be an NHL goalkeeper, Smith tells the Ottawa Citizen.