After Jonathan Huberdeau scored his first goal in 18 games on Tuesday night, a lot of pressure has been lifted off his shoulders.
The Quebec forward hadn't scored since November 20th, but the Calgary Flames player finally got his act together with a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild.
• Also read: Already 900 points for Connor McDavid
• Also read: Wayne Gretzky has fun with the Nickelback singer
Head coach Ryan Huska's lineup changes have paid off. Huberdeau was paired with Elias Lindholm and Yegor Sharangovich, initially allowing him an assist last Sunday, his first point of December. However, this network has an even more special character.
“It feels good. It's been a while. We've been playing better lately. It's good that there's good chemistry in our trio. It feels good, especially to end it with a win,” said a player who seemed to be lighter in the press scrum.
“I was creating things, so the coach decided to change the lyrics and adapt it to ‘Lindy’. We have to be an attacking trio [Huska] that you can rely on,” he added.
The Flames have won their two duels since this move and are now hoping for a good 2024. Huberdeau still has a lot to do to improve his personal tally of five goals and 12 assists in 37 games and he will build on this small victory.
“I have to acknowledge that [l’entraîneur adjoint] Marc Savard, who hangs the tape on my stick. He wanted me to mention it,” he said with a smile, adding that this new habit started in the last game when he finally unlocked it.
Calgary will play three games in four days starting Thursday, facing the Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks.