After shaky pre-season, Parekh takes step forward in Flames’ home opener

CALGARY — His opening night ovation was loud, and greatly appreciated. 

The welcome wagon has been circling Zayne Parekh from the day he was drafted, leading up to his Dome debut Saturday.

Whether they gathered for the red carpet players†arrivals, or simply tuned in on TV, Flames fans had been clamouring for a glimpse of the organizationâ€s most exciting prospect since Matthew Tkachuk.

Those who clearly hadnâ€t seen him struggle in the late stages of the pre-season had spent the first two games lighting up social media and the local sports radio station with angry rants about how misguided Ryan Huska was to sit Parekh in Edmonton and Vancouver.

But after he finished his first game of the season Saturday, Parekh himself weighed in on the debate, insisting he wasnâ€t bothered in the least by starting the year in the press box.

“I thought I kind of deserved to be up there, if I’m being honest,†he said, flashing his megawatt grin.

“I mean, I understand it. I didn’t have enough of a good end to pre-season. It was really good to watch that Vancouver game, just to kind of see what (Quinn) Hughes does and how it looks from up top.â€

Sure, itâ€s the savvy thing to say, but it also seemed genuine from a refreshingly candid 19-year-old who has been the first to admit from the day he went ninth overall that his defensive game needed work.

Still does, which is why the coach refused to feed him to the sharks in Edmonton or Vancouver, where a kid playing the toughest skating position in the game could be exposed.

At least at home, with the last change, Huska felt he could shelter Parekh somewhat while he paired up with Brayden Pachal, who was moved to his off side.

If not for a familiar inability to bury Grade-A chances, the Flames might have fared better Saturday against an opportunistic Blues team that turned Joel Hoferâ€s stellar performance into a 4-2 win.

It says plenty about how comfortable Huska was with Parekhâ€s game that he and fellow teen Matvei Gridin were out on the ice in the final minute, trying to close the gap.

When the dust cleared on an outing in which he played four-and-a-half of his 17:21 on the power play, Parekh had two giveaways and two shots on goal, which didnâ€t include a point shot tipped slightly by Morgan Frost off the post.

Many of his breakout passes were crisp, his gap control was noticeably better, and there were no egregious pinches or missed assignments.

“I thought it was a step in the right direction,†said Parekh, who admitted he was more nervous for the home opener than his NHL debut in the final game last season.

“I didn’t really have my game, like, all pre-season, and to go in there tonight, I thought I played a pretty good game.

“It kind of brings my confidence back, a lot. It’s a good feeling. I mean, obviously we didn’t win, but I thought it was a good start for me, at least.â€

Working hard to try taking pressure off himself, he tried to put things in perspective.

“There’s bigger things than hockey, so just try to have fun with it,†said Parekh, who will have to navigate this whole season with the Flames as heâ€s too young for the AHL and too talented to go back to junior.

“I just tried to have fun with it, like, the worst thing that could happen is maybe I end up not playing the next game.â€

It certainly felt and looked like he was good enough to earn another start Tuesday when Vegas comes calling.

“I thought Zayne was good, I thought he was fine,†said Huska, whose offensively-challenged club couldâ€ve really used some help with the man advantage Saturday, going one for six.

“You know, there were a few plays in his own zone where I think the more that he gets in, you’ll see a little bit more composure there with the puck. But I thought he had a fine game.â€Â 

Buoyed by the fans, supportive teammates who keep things positive, and a coaching staff working hard to help him in his own zone, Parekh is going to get better all season long.

With hands, a stride, and a mind like his, NHL stardom awaits.

But only once he demonstrates a defensive proficiency that the coach can trust will he be an everyday NHLer.

“We’re trying to help him focus on a couple of things that will help more on the defending side than the offensive side,†said Huska.

“Nobody’s talking about the offensive side — (there) he can do his thing.â€

While Huska admits heâ€s willing to have patience with young players like Parekh, Sam Honzek and Matvei Gridin, it comes with a limit.  

“There’s a fine line, because it’s not a league that you want guys to develop in because it’s gonna cost you points from time to time,†said Huska.

“They’re good players, and we want them to be really great players for us as we move forward. So, I think that’s our job as coaches is to make sure we put these young guys in good positions to succeed, and they each bring something that I feel can help our team win games. So we’ll continue to do that.â€

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