CALGARY – There are those who don’t find it remotely amusing the Flames are now on their longest winning streak of the season.
However, even those on Team Tank had to chuckle when Yegor Sharangovich lost the handle on his shootout attempt late Tuesday, only to see the game clincher slide under the pads of Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper.
“They’re laughing and chirping in the back, ‘Yegor Kucherov,’” Sharangovich grinned following a 3-2 shootout win over Los Angeles, punctuated by a fortuitously botched deke that had him covering his mouth while being mobbed by teammates.
“I went to go to the backhand and it just slipped under his pad. I’m just happy the puck went in.”
On a night the undermanned Flames extended their winning streak to four games, the real story wasn’t the blooper‑reel finish.
It was the man who set up the memorable shootout with a late, game-tying power play goal: Zayne Parekh.
Midway through the third, with the Flames down 2-1, and a 5-on-3 power play looking for a spark, the 19‑year‑old defenceman stepped into a shot at the point and hammered home his first goal of his season.
It came in his 26th game of a trying season.
“I was kind of accepting I wasn’t going to score this year,” Parekh admitted with a smile.
“So it was nice to find one. I like the way I’m playing. I like the way my game is trending, and I’m having fun. I mean, we’re winning hockey games, so it’s a lot of fun.”
It was more than a goal. It was a marker of where this franchise is headed.
Parekh, Matvei Gridin, and Matt Coronato – three players expected to form the backbone of the next competitive Flames team – were all on the ice together in overtime.
It was merited, as they’d all combined for Parekh’s snipe.
That’s not an accident. It’s symbolic of the shift in philosophy.
Flames coach Ryan Huska didn’t hide how meaningful Parekh’s breakthrough was, not just for the player, but for the process.
“I think he’s frustrated, or he was, and we’ve had some conversations about that,” Huska said, on a night the rookie had a career-high five shots on net.
“He just needs to remember that he’s doing a lot of great things away from the puck. He’s learning how to play the game at the NHL level, which is crazy. He’s a smaller defenceman that’s a skilled guy, and it’s hard to break in as a 19‑year‑old.”
Huska has been adamant: the points will come.
Tuesday was a start.
“The pressure gets put on him from outside sources at times,” Huska added.
“What he is doing, though, is learning to be more of a complete player. And I think he’s done an excellent job with that.”
Gridin, who set up the goal, couldn’t hide how much it meant to see his fellow rookie finally break through.
“It’s good Zayne finally scored his first goal of the season – we were all waiting for that, and he was so happy,” said the 20-year-old winger, who set up the overtime winner one game earlier against Tampa.
“Hopefully we’ll play for, like, 15 more years together, and generate a lot.”
If nothing else, they’re generating plenty of confidence, which is what’s needed for youngsters to grow.
“Sky high,” smiled Gridin of his confidence, who was the first to say he was “really good” in the previous game’s extra frame.
“I appreciate the coach's trust me in that situation.”
Parekh echoed the sentiment.
“He trusts me in those situations, and it means a lot to me,” said Parekh of Huska.
“Hopefully the three of us keep ending up on the sheet together.”
Four straight wins in a season without playoffs doesn’t help the club’s draft status, but it sure helps a young team establish the standard necessary to compete nightly.
Helps morale too, as winning fosters a healthier environment for the youngsters to thrive in.
Right now it’s about a coach who’s not afraid to put teenagers on the ice in overtime.
It’s about a room that can laugh at a fluky shootout winner while celebrating a rookie’s first goal in a trying season.
It’s about a culture forming around opportunity, growth and a bit of fun along the way.
Sharangovich’s accidental Kucherov may have been the punchline of the night, but Parekh’s goal was the headline.
And the kids? They’re becoming the story.
