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Despite their unfortunate standing within the National Hockey League, the Calgary Flames exhibit resilience, striving for triumphs while upholding team solidarity.
A testament to this unity was demonstrated by seasoned player Jonathan Huberdeau, who engaged in a physical altercation on Saturday. This marked his initial fight in seven seasons during Calgary’s shootout win of 3-2 over the Dallas Stars.
Huberdeau promptly defended Matt Coronato when he was forcefully driven into the boards from behind by Mikko Rantanen during the final moments of the second period.
After exiting the ice with a noticeable wound, Coronato later reappeared on the bench in the third, now bearing a sizable stitched laceration across his nose.
“I simply had to support Matty,” Huberdeau explained. “The impact was unduly forceful, made from behind.”
Huberdeau’s preceding skirmish occurred when, as a member of the Florida Panthers, he clashed with Paul Byron in the 2018-19 pre-season.
“At times, it’s necessary to stand up for teammates. It’s not traditionally my approach, yet protecting one’s own is essential,” Huberdeau stated. “The team’s cohesiveness is well-established, and it is expected that any player would rally for another.”
Ryan Huska, who characterized the act as a “deplorable hit,” expressed no astonishment at seeing his assistant captain step in to protect a colleague.
“I wasn’t caught off guard,” the Flames coach commented. “Hubie personifies the ultimate team player, demonstrating a willingness to contribute in any way. In this instance, his willingness to defend a teammate infused the team with vital energy, particularly because such actions aren’t instinctively his.”
Huberdeau is positioned at left wing on Calgary’s top line, accompanied by center Morgan Frost and fellow left winger Coronato.
“It means an extensive amount,” stated Coronato, who initiated the game’s scoring, stretching his scoring streak to a career-best fourth match.
“To witness one of our leading, most skilled players take such action underscores the closeness within our group.”
Flames’ goaltender Devin Cooley voiced enthusiasm over Huberdeau’s gesture.
“A true leader. Remarkable,” Cooley remarked. “Despite earning an annual salary of US$10 million, he’s willing to engage in physical confrontations to defend our players. The energy that action projects permeates across the whole group, boosting morale and fostering exhilaration.”
Rantanen incurred his second major penalty and game misconduct for boarding in a total of six periods. Correspondingly, he was ejected for a hit on Alexander Romanov during the last minute of Tuesday’s game against the New York Islanders.
Currently, Rantanen tops the NHL with 57 penalty minutes, which is five more than Washington’s Tom Wilson.
‘Unfortunate’ initiation to the term
Calgary’s subpar commencement to the term has considerably challenged their playoff qualifications.
With the recent win, Calgary (7-13-3) advances to 31st within the league, leading Nashville by a single point. Nonetheless, Nashville holds two additional games, thus yielding a superior point percentage.
Although clinching a playoff berth appears doubtful, Saturday’s performance reinforces Calgary’s capability to overcome leading teams.
“Tonight, our speed was on display; arguably, it marked one of our finest overall performances,” noted Huberdeau.
The Stars (13-5-4) boast the league’s third-best standing, falling behind only Colorado and Carolina and maintaining a 6-1-1 record over their most recent eight contests.
“We constitute a legitimately top-tier team,” asserted Cooley, reflecting on Saturday’s triumph. “Our cohesion allows us to confront and compete with leading teams, underscoring our formidable nature.”
Joel Farabee also contributed a goal during regulation time for Calgary, and Nazem Kadri secured the game-winning goal in the shootout.
Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz countered for Dallas, with Robertson extending his scoring streak to a career-equaling six games and tallying 10 goals throughout this sequence.
