Jonathan Huberdeau and Elias Lindholm had breakout games as the Flames drop the red-hot Canucks
It was definitely a team-effort win, but the Calgary Flames can take solace in the fact their struggling forwards who are supposed to lead the way found a new gear in Thursday’s 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
Elias Lindholm scored his first goal in 11 games and netted two assists.
Jonathan Huberdeau, who was benched for all of the third period last time the Flames were on the Saddledome ice, snapped an 11-game goal drought and added an assist.
Part of the story was the reaction of the fans when Huberdeau’s goal was announced. There was a noticeable elevation of the decibel level compared to most any other goals that make it a 4-1 score.
“I take it in. It’s nice to get support from the crowd. They’ve been patient,” Huberdeau said with a chuckle. “It’s nice. Hopefully that can get me going.”
“We have great fans here and what they do recognizes hard work,” coach Ryan Huska said. “And you could see that from him tonight. So when he gets rewarded, it was nice. It goes a long ways for a player that is really working to find his way. We’re all happy for him.”
Both were much better beyond just the points. Huberdeau was connecting on way more of his passes, a glaring issue in the past, while Lindholm showed more speed in his game.
The Flames, who won consecutive games for only the second time this season and have a 4-1-1 mark since their six-game losing skid, were full marks in beating the a Canucks squad that went into the night’s action atop the Western Conference and on a 10-1-1 run. Sure, the Canucks were playing their fifth game in eight days — in three different time zones — and on the second half of games on back-to-back nights, but to their credit the Flames took full advantage.
Defensemen MacKenzie Weegar and Noah Hanifin and Dillon Dube also tallied, while goaltender Jacob Markstrom was solid with a 21-save performance.
Here are three more thoughts from the game.
A vacation-winning goal
Dube’s second-period tally earned a couple of fans a trip to Las Vegas, tallied during the 60 second "Minute-to-Win-It" window for the promotion with Cowboys Casino.
“Who doesn’t like Vegas?” said Dube, who met the fans afterward. “We were kind of all in shock to be honest. What's more surprising, a trip to Vegas or me scoring?”
Dube was full marks for the goal, going to the net and finding a loose puck behind Canucks goalie Casey DeSmith for his third of the season.
Making an impact off the scoresheet
Martin Pospisil and Connor Zary did not add any offence, but their line — which also includes Nazem Kadri — was noticeable in a different way.
The trio set the tone with a strong forecheck and Pospisil especially had the Canucks chasing him thanks to a collision with J.T. Miller as they headed to the net and a solid check on captain Quinn Hughes.
“He got them running around with a clean hit,” Huska said. “You would expect that when you hit one of their star players. He also went to the net and did the things that make him a good player.”
Offensive defensemen make a difference
It could get lost with the performance of the often-maligned forwards, but the goals by Weegar and Hanifin loomed large, as much for the impact on the score but with how they were collected.
Weegar tied the score 1-1 late in the first period when he began the breakout, joined the rush all the way from behind his own net and converted from the left circle.
Hanifin’s was also pretty nifty. The big, smooth-skating defenseman drove from the point, zipped around Elias Pettersson and lifted a close-in chance. It made the score 3-1 with 36 seconds remaining in the second period.
How often this season have the Flames been guilty of surrendering late goals that killed any momentum built in the period? Turning the tables in that manner can not be overlooked.