Defenseman Rasmus Andersson was particularly grateful to be able to play for the Calgary Flames again on Thursday, about ten days after his serious traffic accident.
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While riding a scooter in Detroit on February 8, the Swede’s rear was hit by a car. He was taken to the hospital but ultimately escaped unharmed.
This experience still marked the 26-year-old with a red iron.
“I’m not going to lie… it was traumatic and scary,” he told the Bettman Circuit website. The days I spent in the hospital were difficult because I still don’t know what happened.
“You are on your way to a place and you wake up in the ambulance. I was on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner before I remembered my name. It was a traumatic experience for me, my wife and my family.”
“I would like to thank the staff at [Detroit Receiving Hospital]. You have done an excellent job.”
Despite this unfortunate episode, Andersson only missed three games for Darryl Sutter’s side. When he returned to action, the Flames suffered a tough 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
Andersson also did well in the loss, grabbing an assist in 19:49. But even though he didn’t have any physical after-effects from his accident, he admitted that he still hasn’t recovered mentally.
“I was still thinking about everything that happened, so I was probably too cautious in certain situations,” he continued. But I feel better and better every day. Once you get through your first game, you know you’re going to be fine.”
Huberdeau’s right decision
A few days after that loss to Michigan, the Flames bounced back in style by ending the New York Rangers’ seven-game winning streak on Saturday.
After making headlines with his agent Allan Walsh’s inflammatory tweet, Jonathan Huberdeau silenced the critics by setting the stage for the decisive goal with a 3-2 win in overtime.
“The Rangers are a good team,” said Saint-Jérôme proudly after the duel. We had a great start to the game and didn’t give up. They came back from behind but we showed our strength of character.
Back-to-back goals from Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexis Lafrenière forced extra time, and a clever shot from Huberdeau, deflected off Mikael Backlund, sealed the game.
“You know the quality of my recordings. I didn’t have a chance to score, said the Quebecer. I’ve seen “Backs” left to its own devices on the web. A tactic he practices every morning in training. It paid off. This is a crucial victory for us.”
The Flames take over Monday at the Scotiabank Saddledome where they face off against the Philadelphia Flyers.