(Calgary) A goal, an assist, a victory, the first star, a warm crowd and hugs with his old friends. It may not have been Charlie Conway’s winning goal, but Jonathan Huberdeau had a glorious night.
The Florida Panthers landed in Alberta on Tuesday, and Huberdeau made sure to change the narrative of Matthew Tkachuk’s comeback in Calgary, helping the Flames beat the Panthers 6-2. The question now is to see if this will be enough to allow the Quebecer to take off with his new team.
It was the second time in 10 days that the Flames had beaten the Panthers.
“Two wins against that team is good. This summer, when I got traded, I had it on my heart. But to get here and win, it’s fun, ”he said candidly to the three Quebec journalists who spoke with him after his press briefing with local media.
You have to understand the context behind his happiness. Last summer, Huberdeau was at the heart of one of the most incredible transactions in recent NHL history. Huberdeau and Tkachuk, both authors of 100-point seasons last year, have therefore changed sides. Huberdeau was accompanied by MacKenzie Weegar, possibly the least talked about 44-point defenseman in the history of 44-point defensemen.
“Huberdeau is quite a player. At the end of the day, it’s a trade for immediate needs that works for both teams. You get Huberdeau and Weegar, really good players, and Florida also gets a really good player,” noted Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson.
The transaction was even more unlikely from the point of view of the Flames, who had also just said goodbye to Johnny Gaudreau, author of 115 points last year. According to our research, the 2021-22 Flames were 68e team in NHL history with at least two 100-point scorers in its ranks; but it was the very first time that two of those players had lifted the felts at the end of said 100-point season.
It is therefore in this context that Huberdeau landed in Calgary, and the first steps were not easy. After 10 games, he had just one goal and four assists. The athlete from Saint-Jérôme was injured in the upper body, then relegated to the third line.
sentimental crowd
For this game, Huberdeau was officially back on the top line for the first time since Darryl Sutter assigned him to a defensive line.
Except that this news passed in the shadow of Tkachuk’s return to the arena where he began his career. The empty benches were certainly numerous, but the spectators who had braved the cold to watch the match were noisy. As soon as Tkachuk touched the puck, boos erupted everywhere. The only exception: At the first commercial break, a montage was presented on the giant screen, saluting the agitator for his 431 games in a Flames uniform.
“They are still respectful. He played 400 games here. He gave a lot for that organization. He deserved people to applaud him, ”said the Quebecer.
But as soon as the game resumed, the boos started again. Fans clearly didn’t appreciate the fact that the man with the chewed-up mouthguard wanted to leave Calgary this summer instead of signing a long-term contract.
“It’s more him who left here, recalled Huberdeau. Weegar and I were better received in Florida because we got traded. He is a little different. »
Objective: long distance
Huberdeau has obviously left a good memory in his old locker room. They were half a dozen former teammates – including Aaron Ekblad and Radko Gudas – around him after the game in a hallway in the Saddledome.
Except the Panthers wanted to change their identity and that’s why they accepted a hefty bill to get Tkachuk.
“All we’re talking about is building a style that we can play in the playoffs,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said before the game. Offensively, it’s going well, and in our zone, we managed to close the enclave. We practice a harder style, which can be more taxing. But before long, it will become fun to play like this. »
And Tkachuk, in all this? “He brings a style of play from the playoffs, which he is able to practice in the season. It brings bite. Once in the playoffs, he will therefore continue to go to the more difficult places. He won’t have to change. »
They still have to get there. If the playoffs started on Wednesday, the Panthers would be out. But they remain in the race and have the talent to rise among the elite. And last year, their 122 season points weren’t worth much when the Lightning crushed them in four games in the second round.
The suitability of the transaction will have to be reassessed in April. In May or June, if it turns out well for one or the other of these teams.