Lindblom plays in Flyers' win against Islanders in Game 6 of second round

Oskar Lindblom never doubted he'd return to the NHL at some point.

But for the Philadelphia Flyers forward, after surviving a seven-month battle with Ewing's sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, the question of when remained unanswered until Thursday, when coach Alain Vigneault gave him the news during the morning skate before Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the New York Islanders.
You're back.
"I was trying to think positive thoughts throughout the whole chemo," Lindblom said. "I knew I'd play one day, but I didn't know when. Today was the day and I was lucky to be out there and be with these guys.
"It's hard to step in to a playoff game, especially one of these when you have to win. Tried to grind it out and luckily we came out with a win here."

Lindblom had three shot attempts, two hits and one block in 17:30 of ice time in a 5-4 double overtime win to cause Game 7, which will be at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the East hub city, on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVAS).
But the score sheet can't replicate the lift Lindblom's presence provided.
"I don't think there's anything that can describe how proud we all are of him and how much he means to this organization, this team," Flyers goalie Carter Hart said.
It was Lindblom's first game since Dec. 7. He was told three days later by Vigneault and Philadelphia director of medical services Jim McCrossin that he was sick, and the Flyers announced the diagnosis Dec. 13.
There were good and bad days, as there are in any battle against cancer. But on July 2, Lindblom rang the bell at Abramson Cancer Center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, signifying the end of his cancer treatments.
He was a surprise addition to the roster for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and after some time visiting friends and family in his native Sweden, Lindblom joined the Flyers in Toronto on Aug. 7.
He then spent eight days in quarantine before joining the Flyers on the ice, progressing to taking part in warmups before Games 4 and 5 against the Islanders.

But with forward Sean Couturier and Joel Farabee unfit to play Thursday, Vigneault felt it was the right time for Lindblom to make his return.
"I talked to him this morning," Vigneault said. "Considering our situation ... I asked him how he felt and told him how I would use him. Going into five periods I used him a little more than I anticipated. Great young man that wanted to help his team and he did."
Lindblom took his first shift 1:26 into the game but got caught in the defensive zone and spent 1:39 on the ice, his longest shift by far. When he came out for his third shift after Kevin Hayes scored to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead, players from both teams gave him a stick-tap salute.
"To see the support not only from our team but the Islanders all standing up and cheering him on, especially right after a goal-against, lot of respect for them for that," Hart said.
Lindblom got support from all corners of the hockey world during his cancer battle, from the Oskar Strong shirts that have been worn by players throughout the League, to phone calls of support from fellow cancer survivors, including Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux and NBC Sports analyst Eddie Olczyk.
"I talked to Mario Lemieux and a couple other guys from the League who had something similar," Lindblom said. "Just them reaching out and trying to help me meant a lot."
And Lindblom's presence has meant a lot to the Flyers.
Captain Claude Giroux has seen a lot during his 13 seasons in Philadelphia, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010. The current group, though, has something different, and a lot of that is because of Lindblom.
"This kid has so much courage," Giroux said. "He played unbelievable too. ... This guy's heart, you have to see it to believe it."