CALGARY — Dillon Dube’s goal won two fans a trip to Vegas.
Jonathan Huberdeau’s goal won over the city.
Early in the third period of a game that was easily the Calgary Flames‘ most complete effort of the season, Huberdeau roofed a beauty that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
It put the Flames up 4-1 against the red-hot Vancouver Canucks and ended his 11-game scoreless drought that’s been talked about from coast-to-coast.
Everyone has an opinion on what’s wrong with ol’ Huby, but the overwhelming sentiment in this town is that it hasn’t collectively turned its back on him.
Handling the last year and change with class and ownership of his struggles, there’s plenty of empathy here for the $10.5 million man.
He feels it daily, as chance interactions with fans around town reinforce they’re pulling for him to somehow find his game.
“I take it in,” said Huberdeau of the roar from 17,501 following his third of the year.
“I think it’s nice to get the support of the crowd.”
Pausing before adding the smile that makes him so likeable, he added:
“They’ve been patient.”
Bearhugged by Mikael Backlund as Huberdeau screamed skyward, the veteran was greeted with massive grins at the bench.
They know how hard this has been on him early this season, and all of last.
“That was nice when I came to the bench and all the guys were happy,” said Huberdeau who later added an assist on Elias Lindholm’s empty netter to seal a 5-2 win.
“I appreciate the support of my teammates.
“We’re a close team and the guys are there for me.
“You saw with the ovation after the goal being 4-1.
“I think Calgary is a great city, I mean, compared to other markets they’re supporting me.
“When I see people they want me to get going. It’s nice to see.”
Flames fans will tell you it was just as nice to see Lindholm snap out of a funk with three points on a night the Nazem Kadri and the Kids Line was the best on the ice.
Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil continue to be two of the most noticeable players in every game they play alongside the veteran who led all Flames shooters with five shots.
Although held scoreless for the first time in a while, the trio pinned the Canucks in their own zone endlessly, with Pospisil showing plenty of jam, which included a hit on Quinn Hughes that riled up a visiting team playing its second game in as many nights.
The Flames now have seven goals from defencemen in their last seven games, thanks to finishes from MacKenzie Weegar late in the first and Noah Hanifin at the tail end of a second period in which a 17-5 shot advantage for the Flames helped stake them to a 3-1 lead.
In between those two strikes came a goal from Dube that came amidst a Minute to Win It contest that saw a pair of fans win a trip to Sin City.
“Who doesn’t like Vegas?” beamed Dube, after meeting with the lucky winners after the game.
“We’re all kind of in shock, to be honest.
“What’s more surprising, a trip to Vegas or me scoring? Who knows?”
Cue laughter in a room devoid of such merriment until the last half-dozen games.
Following the Flames six-game losing skid, the team is now on a 4-1-1 heater, having just beaten the hottest team in the west.
“We’re coming,” said Lindholm.
“Lately we’ve been playing better and seeing better signs out there of what we want to do.
“A lot has changed.
“We’re following the system more, more dialled in and winning more battles, and working harder.
“There’s a lot of good teams in this league and you’re not going to win on skill.
“We’re one of those teams that needs to work harder than other teams to win games, and we’re starting to realize that.”
Working smarter too, as the Flames took advantage of a tired Canucks team by giving them a taste of their own medicine – eliminating time and space with a relentless forecheck that dictated most of the play.
And then, to top it all off, enter Huberdeau, whose snipe came in tight, shocking Casey DeSmith and the shooter all at once.
“I thought it was cool,” said coach Ryan Huska of the moment, and the crowd’s response.
“We have great fans here and what they do recognize is hard work, and you could see that from him tonight.
“So when he gets rewarded it was nice, and it goes a long way for a player that is really working to find his way. We’re all happy for him.
“But he’s got to find a way to do it again against the Islanders (Saturday).
“That’s what he’s striving for, to be consistent and to be the guy who is on the ice at the right time.”
The Flames outshot the Canucks 39-24, got solid netminding from Jacob Markstrom, limited turnovers and really seem to be grasping their new defensive system.
An impressive evening for a team with endless noise surrounding it.
How memorable for Huberdeau to turn that noise into something positive.
