Browsing: Flames

The Calgary Flames are making the forward a healthy scratch for Monday’s game (Sportsnet, 9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. MT) against the Winnipeg Jets, coach Ryan Huska told reporters.

The move comes after the Flames lost 6-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, dropping them to 1-5 to start the season.

“Last game, we were like a 50-50 team, is the best way I can put it. There was 50 per cent of our guys that I thought really worked really hard and were committed and then I don’t think we had enough from the other 50. And he would fall into that category,” Huska said about the decision to scratch Sharangovich, per Wes Gilbertson of Postmedia. “You can’t make a 50 per cent change, but certain areas that weren’t acceptable, we can change a few. So it happened to be him.”

Sharangovich, 27, has just an assist through the first six games of the season and is a minus-3. Last season he had 17 goals and 32 points in 73 games, a noticeable dip from the 31 goals and 59 points he had in 82 games in the 2023-24 season.

His performance during the 2024-25 season earned him a five-year, $28.75-million deal ($5.75 million AAV) back in July 2024.

Sportsnet analyst Kevin Bieksa criticized Sharangovich for failing to finish a check on William Karlsson late in the game during an intermission report on Hockey Night in Canada.

“I would absolutely lose my mind if I saw that on the bench,†said Bieksa.

“Thatâ€s a culture thing for me. I would show that clip in practice and say, ‘where are my guys that care?†Play the guys that care. If youâ€re going to get an effort like that, get rid of him. Youâ€re disgracing the NHL with an effort like that. Be a little mad. Hate to lose. That guy doesnâ€t hate to lose.

“You have so many good young players … you have a young nucleus and you canâ€t have them poisoned by that type of behaviour.”

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Bottom of the league in goals scored and goal differential, the Calgary Flames are now the NHLâ€s last-place team.

They canâ€t score, they canâ€t defend.

Thereâ€s no sugar-coating where this beleaguered bunch sits a mere half-dozen games into the season, losing five in a row to sit 1-5.

And the road ahead doesnâ€t get any easier, facing Winnipeg in two of their next three games.

A 6-1 beating in Vegas on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday added to the frustration of an already-challenging start, especially since the effort of several players was called into question.

Coach Ryan Huska, whose players rarely shortchange him on heart, said half his forwards didnâ€t give the sort of effort expected.

Captain Mikael Backlund agreed the group didnâ€t show near enough fight after an evenly played first period saw the Flames down 3-1.

“The battle has pretty much been there from the boys, but tonight I donâ€t think it was up to our standards,†said Backlund.

The harshest criticism came from HNICâ€s Kevin Bieksa, who blasted Yegor Sharangovich for failing to finish a check on William Karlsson late in the game.

“I would absolutely lose my mind if I saw that on the bench,†said Bieksa.

“Thatâ€s a culture thing for me. I would show that clip in practice and say, ‘where are my guys that care?†Play the guys that care. If youâ€re going to get an effort like that, get rid of him. Youâ€re disgracing the NHL with an effort like that. Be a little mad. Hate to lose. That guy doesnâ€t hate to lose.

“You have so many good young players … you have a young nucleus and you canâ€t have them poisoned by that type of behaviour.â€

More takeaways from (another) nightmare in Vegas:

After missing the first five games of the season due to a pre-season injury, Jonathan Huberdeau returned to the lineup and made an immediate impact with a power-play goal three minutes in. Banging in a rebound on the power-play to tie the game 1-1, it kickstarted an evening in which the teamâ€s best playmaker did well to inject some energy into the top line with Nazem Kadri and Joel Farabee. Â

“You need your best players to be your best players every night and I thought the Kadri, Huberdeau, Farabee line was excellent for us tonight, consistently,†said Huska.

“They had the puck a lot and were dangerous. The challenge becomes, itâ€s everybody. You canâ€t rely on the one group of guys. I donâ€t think we had enough other players that were as engaged as that line.â€

Huberdeau said his club isnâ€t playing as a unit, trying too hard to do things individually.

“Right now itâ€s just too easy against us,†said Huberdeau, whose club allowed Mark Stone and Jack Eichel to pile up four points apiece.

“Weâ€re leaving the best player on the other team wide open. Weâ€ve got to be harder on these guys.â€

Go ahead and try to blame Dustin Wolf on any of the five goals he was beaten on, but youâ€d be wrong to do so.

Still, after being beaten five times on 19 shots, Wolf gave way to Devin Cooley for the third period.

It was a salient move given the rigorous schedule ahead this week, with Winnipeg in town Monday, Montreal visiting Wednesday and a return trip to Winnipeg on Friday.

Cooley was spectacular in his season debut Wednesday in Utah, and was solid again Saturday, victimized only once by a Vegas power play that finished three-for-three on the night. He stopped eight of nine shots.

Having taken note of a high hit Colton Sissons made on Zayne Parekh when these two teams met four nights earlier, Ryan Lomberg took the opportunity to let the Vegas forward know it didnâ€t sit well with the Flames.

Two minutes in, to the surprise of no one, the two decided to settle the score.

Six minutes later, the Golden Knights took exception to a heavy Adam Klapka hit on Zach Whitecloud when Jeremy Lauzon dropped the gloves with the big Flames winger.

“The (Connor) Zary line, with Lomberg and Klapka, I thought gave us a great effort tonight – two good fights from the two guys on that line but we didnâ€t have much from the other two lines tonight,†said Huska.

“Weâ€re in a stretch right now where weâ€re not playing poorly – I thought tonightâ€s game got away from us for sure – but itâ€s the consistency our team has to play with for a full 60 minutes. We need to be more committed and more detailed for a full 60 minutes for more than weâ€ve shown this year.â€

There was good news on the farm, where rookie Matvei Gridin scored his first AHL goal in his first AHL game just 37 seconds into the contest Saturday in Tucson, Ariz. Hunter Brzustewicz also scored his first of the season, although the Wranglers fell 5-4 in OT.

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The Vegas Golden Knights absolutely demolished the Calgary Flames 6-1 in Sin City on Saturday night NHL action.

The Flames have now lost five in a row and are dead last in the overall NHL rankings for the season.

Here are the takeaways:

What’s Going on with Dustin Wolf

As of the end of this game, Wolf has given up 15 goals in five games in even-strength hockey and has an Expected Goals Against (xGA) value of 8.33. That is below expected by 6.67, the BIGGEST in the league.

Safe to say he is in a sophomore slump, but it’s still early in the season to pick it up.

Second Period Slump

You could make the argument the Flames just got unlucky in the first period. The first shot of the game ended up being a Mitch Marner goal. After that shot, until the 11:25 mark of the first period, the Flames and Knights were even at 5-5 in shots on goal, including trading PP goals, that put the Knights up 2-1.

Calgary then outshot Vegas 8-1 until the second-last minute. Unfortunately, that lone Knights shot found the back of the Flames net, putting them up 3-1 at the first intermission.

That’s pretty unlucky.

But there was no excuse for the nightmare that was the second period.

Forget about the shot count: The Golden Knights had 15 scoring opportunities while the Flames had two. In terms of high-danger scoring opportunities, Vegas had five, including a shorthanded attempt. Two of those ended up being goals.

Calgary had zero high-danger scoring opportunities. They were no threat for Vegas goalie Adin Hill. The second period was basically a walk in the park for him.

The Flames would stage a comeback in the third period, but could not produce any goals.

Poor Penalty-Kill

The Flames went 0-for-3 on the penalty-kill. You cannot expect to put on a respectable season record if the penalty-kill is zero on the dot.

Bottom Line

As for as what I liked with the Flames, Nazem Kadri was 11-of-15 (73.3%) on the face-off.

That’s about it.

The Flames will now come back home to take on the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.

To know how bad the Calgary offense was going into this game, check out this to see who had the most individual total shots for the team all season.

HINT: It’s a defenceman…

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CALGARY — Dusty Nickel was midway through his bag of press-box popcorn when his phone delivered the news.

As the Calgary Flames†resident EBUG (emergency backup goalie), the 34-year-old construction company owner had been summoned downstairs after Vegas netminder Adin Hill left Tuesdayâ€s game with an injury.

While rushing outside to grab his gear from his truck, Flames forward Sam Honzek smashed into Golden Knights backup Akira Schmid, opening up the very real possibility Nickel could be pressed into action.

However, Nickel was oblivious to the anxious moments being felt on the visiting bench.

“I got stuck with a new security guy on the elevator that wasnâ€t letting me down,†chuckled Nickel.

“He needed to see my credentials. Iâ€ve got a suit jacket with eight or nine game passes and I didnâ€t know which one it was, and while I showed him them all I said, ‘I donâ€t have time for this, youâ€ve gotta call this in because Iâ€ve got to go.’â€

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Shortly after Schmid was cleared to resume, Nickel arrived in the Saddledomeâ€s alumni dressing room, where he went through a fruitless procedure with which he’s all too familiar.

He put on half his equipment, stretched, signed some paperwork, watched the intermission panel discuss him and the possibilities, and longed to finish that bag of popcorn.

Flames assistant equipment manager, Ben Duhaime, double-checked the spelling of Nickelâ€s last name for a Vegas jersey they were preparing.

As EBUGs are instructed to remain neutral, and out of sight unless summoned into action, Nickel never wound up seeing the jersey, the bench, or any action.

Just another night for the backupâ€s backup.

Nickel is a bit of a legend around these parts, and not just because of that fantastic handle of his.

Heâ€s been the Flames’ EBUG the last handful of years, striding into the Domeâ€s media lounge buffet area just before puck drop every night wearing a suit, a toque and a massive grin on his face.

“Itâ€s $100 a game, and to be honest, I put most of it on 50-50 tickets,†he laughed.

“I havenâ€t won yet. Iâ€m 0-for-82 the last two years. I havenâ€t even won a secondary prize. Actually, Iâ€m not even sure if Iâ€m allowed to claim it if I win.â€

He won second prize, of sorts, two years ago when the former Calgary Canuck was whisked into the Flames dressing room prior to puck drop to spell Jacob Markstrom, who got sick just before puck drop.

That night he was paid $500, and got to keep the jersey.

Just two minutes in, all eyes turned to Nickel after Dan Vladar was run by Vegas forward William Carrier and needed medical attention on the ice.

“I knew that was coming,†he smiled, recalling his brush with the then-defending Cup champs.

“I remember in warmies I was stretching out and LT (Logan Thompson) and Stoney (Mark Stone) and (Jack) Eichel were all at centre ice and they were looking at me and kind giving me the nod, and I was like, ‘You guys are going to do something arenâ€t you?†I knew something was coming.

“They probably figured, ‘Hey, weâ€ll throw the EBUG in and have an easy point night.’Â

“Everyone thought I was nervous that whole time, but the adrenaline had worn off — I just didnâ€t know where my gloves were after I gave them to Benny, and I thought my skates were kind of dull.â€

The Flames have kept Nickel busy in other ways, using him 100 times last year as a practice fill-in for the Flames and Wranglers.

He doesnâ€t do it for the money, as it amounts to little more than free gear and a couple grand at the end of the year he calls “beer and gas money.â€Â

Given this seasonâ€s compacted schedule, theyâ€ll likely use him even more.

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However, the real carrot comes next year when the new CBA calls for every team in the league to employ a full-time EBUG who travels and practices with the team.

“The Never Hungry League — itâ€s a pretty exciting thing,†said Nickel, who also runs a goalie school.

“Youâ€d have a lot of people lining up for that job. Per diem and food. What an experience to see a bit of the world that way. What a cool experience to be able to do that, to kind of be a bullpen catcher and be able to go on road trips and hang out with the guys. I think it would be an absolute blast.â€

While Nickel has been told the EBUG will be paid roughly $75,000 US, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Sportsnet each team will decide what compensation will be involved.

“These positions likely wonâ€t be exclusively dedicated to EBUG status,†said Daly.

“The individual would likely have other full-time responsibilities with the club.â€

Thatâ€s just fine with Nickel, who has the flexibility to continue dropping everything to help the Flames.

“Every year I keep saying, ‘One more year, one more year,†but then maybe next year I could get to travel, and then the new rink… maybe two more years,†said the affable Calgarian, who has become part of the team in many ways.

“I love skating with the guys, and itâ€s a great culture. As long as you can keep playing, play as long as you can.â€

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Turns out backup goaltending is the least of the Calgary Flames’ concerns right now.

In the most important start of his career, Devin Cooley made an overwhelmingly positive first impression with a 29-save performance that made him the gameâ€s first star Wednesday in Utah.

However, his heroics werenâ€t enough as the offensively-challenged Flames lost their fourth in a row, this time by a 3-1 score to the Mammoth.

And while the effort was solid, the reality is becoming daunting, warned coach Ryan Huska afterwards.

“You need to find your game in a hurry because you canâ€t make the playoffs the first month of the year, but you surely can miss them,†said Huska, whose club played in Calgary the night before and arrived at their Salt Lake City hotel after 3 a.m.

“It is important for guys to recognize the work is there, but itâ€s some of the execution thatâ€s not, or the mistake at an inopportune time that is costing us some of these games.â€

“That stuff has to be cleaned up. I do feel weâ€ve beaten ourselves in this stretch weâ€re in right now. Those are all things I think are correctable for sure.â€

Given the nightmarish second half he had in the AHL last season, followed by a subpar pre-season, plenty was riding on Cooleyâ€s opening performance.

With rumours abounding the Flames are already looking to bolster their backup position, the 28-year-old responded to the pressure by being the gameâ€s first star, keeping Calgary in a game that could easily have gotten out of hand without him.

“I thought for his first game of the year I thought he was excellent,†said Huska, who will need Dustion Wolfâ€s backup to win at least half his starts for the team to make the playoffs.

“He made the saves he had to, and he sprinkled in some that were competitive saves, and thatâ€s what you want to see from him.â€
Making just his seventh NHL start, Cooleyâ€s first NHL action in 18 months saw him make a trio of great saves in the first period that gave plenty of early hope he was up to the task.

“I felt pretty good, maybe a little jumpy, a little scrambly, but maybe that comes with not playing in a while and having a lot of energy and feeling excited to have an opportunity,†said the California native, who was an AHL all-star last season.

“Especially in a backup role, my job is to give the team a chance every single night Iâ€m in, whether itâ€s a tough travel day or whatever, Iâ€ve got to find a way to dig in.â€

He did. And his teammates did well to scrap their way through a tight game, despite the obvious fatigue that comes from playing their second back-to-back in eight days.

“I thought our guys battled really hard,†said Cooley.

“I think we got in at 3:30 or 4 in the morning on a back-to-back, so it wasnâ€t easy, but our guys battled to the end.â€

With just six goals in their last four games, the Flames†inability to finish continues to plague a franchise that missed the playoffs last season because of it.

Joel Farabee and Matt Coronato were the most dangerous of all Flames Wednesday, as they pushed hard in the third period to erase a one-goal deficit, outshooting the hosts 12-4.

But shortly after Karel Vejmelka made a crucial shoulder save on Nazem Kadri in the final minute, the door opened for Kevin Stenlund to bank a lucky clearing attempt into an empty net after banked it in off the side boards.

Fact is, scoring is hard enough for the Flames without having to kill six Utah power plays.

Full marks to the revamped penalty kill approach and personnel the Flames employ for being perfect on the night, but it makes it awfully tough to come back in a game when youâ€re constantly down a man.

“Itâ€s going to be a hard game to win when you take six minors,†said Rasmus Andersson, whose power-play goal in the first period came courtesy of a fortuitous rebound off a defender.

“The penalties cost us tonight, I thought.â€

Huska didnâ€t disagree, pointing to a second-period lapse in which the Flames were outshot 18-3 and outscored 2-0 while having to kill off three penalties.

“Once we were killing that many penalties, I donâ€t think we got out of our zone the whole period,†he said.

“Then youâ€re making fatigue mistakes more than anything.â€

One of those mistakes saw Zayne Parekh fail to close a gap at mid ice and lose a footrace to JJ Peterka, whose breakaway conversion stood as the winner.

The Flames visit Vegas on Saturday.

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SALT LAKE CITY — JJ Peterka and Barrett Hayton scored second-period goals, Karel Vejmelka made 19 saves, and the Utah Mammoth beat the Calgary Flames 3-1 on Wednesday night.

Utah became the sixth NHL franchise to win each of its first two home openers. The Mammoth also earned their fourth straight win over Calgary after going 3-0 against the Flames last season.

Kevin Stenlund added an unassisted empty-net goal with 22.2 seconds remaining to complete the scoring for Utah.

Calgary has surrendered 19 goals through its first five games and has a minus-9 goal differential — second-worst in the NHL. Devin Cooley made his season debut for the Flames and finished with 29 saves.

Rasmus Andersson opened the scoring for Calgary on a power-play goal at 8:37 of the first.

Hayton got Utah on the board at 1:16 of the second. He levelled it at 1-1 after snapping the puck straight down the middle. Peterka gave the Mammoth their first lead at 4:24 of the second, scoring on a close-range wrist shot off an unassisted breakaway.

Utah created many scoring chances in the second period because of six Calgary penalties. The Mammoth had an 18-3 advantage in shots on goal during the period, but failed to convert on four power-play opportunities. They are just 1 of 16 on the power play so far this season.

Flames: At Vegas on Saturday night.

Mammoth: Host San Jose on Friday night.

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The Utah Mammoth unveiled their new mascot, Tusky, during Wednesday night’s home opener against the Calgary Flames.

The Mammoth—formerly the Arizona Coyotes before the organization was transferred to the expansion franchise Utah Hockey Club—have started the season 1-2.

“We named the Utah Mammoth mascot Tusky to lean into our team’s ‘Tusks Up’ rallying cry,” Utah owners Ryan and Ashley Smith said in a statement. “Tusky is going to be a big part of our community, creating memorable experiences in and out of the arena. Fans can expect to see Tusky everywhere—from Mammoth games and team events to community gatherings, schools and hospitals.”

Tusky stands at 6’5″ and wears No. 00. The team has said he’s a great skater, shoots left-handed and his position is the center… of attention.

The team’s nickname, the Mammoths, is a nod to the prehistoric animal that lived in Utah during the last Ice Age.

“Tusky embodies the strength, momentum and earth-shaking presence of the herds that once roamed Utah more than 10,000 years ago,” the team said.

And listen, while Tusky might look a bit aggressively angry, you’d probably be a bit perturbed as well if you emerged from a block of ice in the middle of a hockey arena—like Tusky did on Wednesday night—and learned that the rest of your species was extinct.

Perhaps he’ll reach out to Gritty for consolation, who is assuredly is the only member of whatever his species is to ever exist.

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CALGARY – Four games in, a troubling pattern has emerged for the Calgary Flames.

They just canâ€t finish.

While finishing around the net was the No. 1 concern going into the season, at issue of late has been the teamâ€s inability to finish off opponents.

Tuesdayâ€s 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights marked the third straight game in which the Flames finished with a faceplant.

This disappearing act saw the lads squander a 2-0 first-period lead. The visitors responded by scoring four straight, including three in the final period.

As part of a three-game skid in which the Flames have led once, trailed once and been tied going into the third period, Calgary has been outscored 9-1 in the final frame.

“Good teams find a way to win in third period,†said MacKenzie Weegar, whose first-period wizardry set up a Mikael Backlund goal that got the joint jumping early.

“Weâ€ve got to figure out a way to learn from that one. I hate the word concerning, but it’s definitely something to be addressed, and weâ€ve got to fix that for sure.â€

The Flames were outshot 13-5 in the third, outworked in the corners, and outclassed in the clutch. Jack Eichel led the charge for Vegas, scoring twice and setting the tone for a team that knows how to close. Meanwhile, the Flames looked like a group still trying to figure out how to play with a lead — or hold onto one.

“Itâ€s much similar to the last three,†said head coach Ryan Huska of the implosion.

“Weâ€re just not playing complete games.â€

Thatâ€s putting it mildly. In each of their last three outings, the Flames have either surrendered a lead or failed to generate the kind of urgency that defines winning teams. Tuesdayâ€s collapse was particularly painful, given the strong start and the opportunity to make a statement against a perennial contender.

Blake Coleman, who added to the Flames†early lead just 12 minutes in, seemed stunned that a group known for thriving in the third period last season keeps being victimized late.

“Itâ€s a lesson that probably shouldnâ€t have to be learned with this group,†said Coleman, whose team scored twice on Adin Hill before he was suffered what the team said was a lower-body injury replaced in the second period by Akira Schmid. (yes, place your bets on the Knights inking Carter Hart as early as Wednesday, when heâ€s eligible to sign with an NHL team.)

“You know, weâ€ve got guys that have been there and know how to do it and, yeah, this oneâ€s disappointing,” Coleman added.

Disappointing is one thing. Concerning is another. And while Weegar may hate the word, itâ€s hard to avoid it when the same issues keep surfacing. Defensive lapses, missed assignments, and a lack of killer instinct have plagued the Flames in crunch time — a far cry from the identity they hoped to forge under Huskaâ€s leadership.

The loss dropped Calgary to 1-3-0 on the season, with just one comeback win in Edmonton to show for four games. The Flames, known for their work ethic and discipline in 2024-25, have yet to piece together a complete 60-minute effort – the type required to be a playoff team.

Thereâ€s no shortage of talent in the room. Veterans like Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Rasmus Andersson have the pedigree. Youngsters like Matt Coronato and Connor Zary bring energy and upside. But until the group collectively embraces the grind of third-period hockey, the results will remain the same.

“Weâ€ve got to fix that for sure,†Weegar repeated, echoing the sentiment of a locker=room that knows the clock is ticking — not just on games, but on the seasonâ€s trajectory.

Dustin Wolf made 26 saves in the loss, victimized by Eichel for the second time in the game for the winner six minutes into the third. Wolf will finally give way to Devin Cooley on Wednesday when the Flames visit Utah.

Huberdeau, who skated with the team Tuesday for the first time since being injured in the pre-season, will be on the trip, which will see the Flames visit the Golden Knights on Saturday.

There are no excuses for not putting in a late shift in Vegas.

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Kaedan Korczak also scored for the Golden Knights (2-0-2) and Tomas Hertl added an empty-net goal with seven seconds left.

Starting goalie Adin Hill stopped eight of 10 shots in the first period and didn’t return for the second because of a lower-body injury. Akira Schmid turned away all 19 shots he faced in relief.

Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman scored for the Flames (1-3-0). Dustin Wolf made 26 saves in the loss.

Eichel scored his second of the game at 6:38 of the third period. He drove by Flames defenceman Daniil Miromanov to shovel the puck past Wolf.

Korczak pulled the visitors even at 4:11 of third period when he stepped into a shot that beat Wolf stick side.

Eichel halved a two-goal deficit midway through the second period when he poked his own rebound past Wolf.

Coleman made it 2-0 for the Flames at 12:10 of the opening period when he gained the puck off a heavy Calgary forecheck and wired the puck by Hill’s glove.

Backlund and Flames defenceman Mackenzie Weegar combined on a give-and-go on the first goal of the game at 7:32. Weegar faked a shot and dished to Backlund, who snapped a sharp-angled shot past Hill.

Golden Knights: Vegas has been outscored 5-1 in first periods so far this season. Mitch Marner is still looking for his first goal as a Golden Knight, although he recorded his third and fourth assists on Tuesday.

Flames: The Flames have been outscored 6-2 in third periods to start this season. Jonathan Huberdeau participated in the optional pre-game skate, but wasn’t in the game lineup. The highest-paid player on the Flames, at a cap hit of US$10.5 million, hasn’t played since he was injured in the pre-season. Miromanov made his season debut Tuesday with Weegar as his defensive partner.

Vegas exploited a sagging Calgary defence with two goals in a span of two minutes, 27 seconds early in the third period.

Eichel has four goals and five assists, and Mark Stone has six assists in four games to start the season.

Golden Knights: Host the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

Flames: Travel to Salt Lake City on Wednesday to face the Utah Mammoth in their home opener.

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

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. Â

“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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