BACKS ON TRACK

The oohs and ahhs, and cheerful squawks epitomized the brilliance at ice level.
It wasn't a goal, a save or a thunderous check that got the Flames in a roar. Just the typical stuff we're accustomed to seeing from a gifted player with the silkiest of mitts.
"Even on that chance he had in the first period, he makes a great defensive play with a toe drag to create the 2-on-1," Milan Lucic said of the versatile Mikael Backlund. "He controls the pace of the game and he makes big plays.
"He makes others around him better, and that's what makes him a good player."
That's Backlund for you.
If he's going, chances are the Flames are, too.

When he shook Kyle Connor out of his trousers with that nifty bit of artistry, before speeding off and creating a chance offensively in Tuesday's tilt with the Jets, we were promptly reminded why.
There isn't anything he can't do at both ends of the ice - and right now, he's the cornerstone of a surging Flames forward line.

"He's an important player for us, obviously," said Head Coach Geoff Ward, who famous lauded the 31-year-old for his 'Selke-calibre play' at this time last year. "He takes pride in being on the ice against the best people on the other team and does an awful lot of stuff for us in terms of matchups.
"Since last year when he moved back to centre from that short stint of time he was on the wing, his game has gone to a new level. I think he's playing with a more consistent compete than previously. He's added a consistent offensive performance with what he does defensively. He's always been good away from the puck, but he's been able to add the offensive side, and I think that's a credit to the guys he's been playing with as well.
"He allows us to do an awful lot of things because of the way that he plays when he's on.
"And he's been on a lot since the move back to centre from the wing."
Backlund, who followed up a three-point effort on Saturday in the season's first installment of the Battle of Alberta with another assist against Winnipeg, is up to three goals and eight points in 12 games to this point. But it's clear he's found comfort on a line alongside Lucic, with Andrew Mangiapane on the opposite flank.
As a trio, they've been absolutely dominant in their brief time together.
At 5-on-5 Tuesday, the unit had an 80.95% share (17-4) of the shot attempts, a perfect, 9-0 split of the scoring chances, and seven of the Flames' 12 high-danger opportunities, without surrendering a single one themselves. Considering they were matched up against a 38-goal scorer in Connor and the newly acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois for most of the night, you'll take those numbers any day of the week.

More importantly, they also connected for a key goal, with Lucic making a great play along the wall to free a loose puck to Backlund at the far circle, before he corralled the bouncing puck and dished off to Mangiapane, who shovelled it home on the doorstep.
Now, in more than 27 minutes together, the MMA Line has an expected goals-for percentage of 83.69, and has out-scored the opposition 3-0.
"I feel like we complement each other well," Backlund said following Tuesday's victory. "All three players are good on the forecheck and that's how we create our chances.
"Looch comes in with his speed and heaviness, and Mangy is so good at picking pucks. I feel like we're feeding off each other right now. It's been fun playing with those guys."
Lucic, who has played with a number of elite centres over the years, agrees Backlund is "up there" when compared to some of the sure-fire Hall of Famers like four-time Selke winner Patrice Bergeron, with whom he won a Cup in 2011.
A lofty appraisal, yes. But at the level Backlund is playing at now, it's only fair to grade him against the elite.
He's been that good.
"I think Backs hit the nail on the head," Lucic said. "We're feeding off each other, we're on our toes, we seem to be in the right place for each other, supporting each other - especially the guy with the puck. We're racing to be first on the puck, keeping plays alive and all that type of stuff.
"It's those little things that are adding up to big things.
"It was a lot of fun being able to step up and play the way we have as a line the past few games, and we're going to have to do the same thing tomorrow night."