Modo Hockey saw off Karlskuga 4:2 in the Hockey Allsvenskan on Sunday, ending their opponents' five-match losing run in the process. The hosts sit fourth in the table after nine games, while the visitors languish in tenth place. It was a straightforward affair in terms of result, though the margin suggested Modo were comfortable from the start.
Modo had been uneven in recent weeks, picking up a narrow 1:0 victory over Sundsvall before that heavy 4:1 defeat to Södertälje. They'd bounced back with a 4:0 win over Visby/Roma and a 3:2 victory against Nybro Vikings IF. Karlskuga meanwhile had lost their last five games, including that 7:2 hammering at the hands of AIK on Wednesday. The contrast in form was plain to see.
What mattered here was that Modo got their substitutions spot on, pulling the trigger at the right moments to keep the game under control. They've kept three clean sheets on the spin, and this result means they're still within touching distance of the top spots. The table goes out of the window in these games, but consistency like this doesn't go unnoticed.
By then, the visitors had nothing left to offer. They'd already thrown bodies in the way and were caught in possession far too often. Karlskuga will make life awkward for anyone, but not when they're this far off their game. The relationship between effort and result has clearly soured for them.
The win puts Modo four points clear of fifth place, though the gap could shrink depending on how the rest of the weekend plays out. Karlskuga remain nine points adrift of safety, and that's a dangerous position to be in. One mistake ends it, and they've made several already.
