CALGARY-
The game-winning goal in his opener gave Jonathan Huberdeau a solid first impression in his Calgary Flames debut.
Huberdeau scored the first of three second-period goals in a 4-0 NHL preseason win over the divided Vancouver Canucks.
“I’m used to training camp, but this year it’s different,” said Huberdeau. “Obviously new team. I was comfortable in Florida and here it’s different and it’s been a lot of fun so far. Great group of guys and we’re just going to move forward from there. ‘here.”
Cody Eakin, Blake Coleman and forward Brett Sutter, son of Darryl Sutter, also scored for Calgary. The Flames fielded a much more experienced roster than the Canucks, who kept all of their best players at home for the other half of two split-squad games. The Flames also prevailed in Vancouver, winning 3-2 in overtime.
Huberdeau was the centerpiece addition to a busy offseason for general manager Brad Treliving, who acquired the 29-year-old from Florida in a blockbuster trade that also included defenseman MacKenzie Weegar . Matthew Tkachuk went to the Panthers. The trade came nine days after star left-winger Johnny Gaudreau left Calgary to sign as a free agent with Columbus.
Two weeks after his acquisition, Huberdeau agreed to an eight-year contract extension that will make him Calgary’s highest-paid player at $10.5 million per season starting in 2024-24. Huberdeau tied with Gaudreau for second in league scoring last year with 115 points.
The two top starts mean a new No. 1 line for Calgary and as they have been training since the start of training camp, the new top three made their debut with Elias Lindholm between Huberdeau and Tyler Toffoli.
“It’s good to be there with new teammates, to have chemistry,” said Huberdeau. “It wasn’t my best game so I think I just have to be better and I think we’re all going to improve as a line. First game, you’ve got some summer rust. We’re going to build the chemistry in our next training sessions and we’re going to have other games too, so it’s going to be good.”
Playing together on the best unit on the power play, it was a five against three that produced the first goal of the game at 2:11 of the start of the second period.
Huberdeau collected the puck at the top of the crease and after his attempt to put Toffoli on the side of the net was unsuccessful, the puck bounced back to him and he slid it past Collin Delia as the Saddledome crowd bursts.
“I was a little lucky on that goal, but yeah, it’s always fun to find the back of the net, even in pre-season,” Huberdeau said with a smile. “I want to be a very good player in this team and I think I have to keep climbing, keep working hard.”
Three minutes later, Eakin scored the Flames’ second goal.
With an excess of contracted veterans up front, there shouldn’t be much room, but two guys in camp for a pro tryout are Sonny Milano and Eakin. Milano, 26, who just scored 14 goals with Anaheim last season, is auditioning for Calgary’s top nine opener while Eakin, 31, is looking to establish himself in a depth role.
“It’s a hard-working team and I like that,” said Eakin, a veteran of more than 700 NHL games. “That’s how I try to play my game. I hope someone likes it.”
Milano showed his attacking skills in a single run, scribbled by Dipsy past John Stevens and then sent a dangerous backhand to the net which Delia had to block. Milano fired a penalty in stride.
“Veteran guys try to work their game as they go and then there are guys trying to prove themselves,” Sutter said.
With Jacob Markstrom not in uniform, substitute Dan Vladar got the start and managed to fend off all 15 shots he faced in his two periods, before giving way to Oscar Dansk, who made four stops in third.
Vladar’s work included a sharp glove save on Arshdeep Bains on a second-half breakaway.
Delia also played 40 minutes, finishing with 21 saves. Michael DiPietro stopped nine of 10 shots he faced in the third.
Notable scratches for the Flames include defenseman Chris Tanev and prominent free agent center Nazem Kadri. Both players have been full participants in practice, but with Tanev returning from off-season shoulder surgery and Kadri having played in the spring with the Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche, Sutter has recognized that neither should appear in any game from the start of the preseason.
NOTES: AT Andrew Mangiapane, who just scored a career-high 35 goals, is yet to practice with the Flames as he recovers from a minor injury. Also missing from the squad as he attends to a family matter is defender Oliver Kylington.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 25, 2022.
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