As Kuzmenko makes debut, Flames' new top line shines in complete win

BOSTON – You get the sense Nazem Kadri had been waiting weeks, if not months to use the line.

“A pack of hyenas can take down a lion,” was his analogy following a shockingly complete, 4-1 win in Boston.

“That’s the type of mentality we need as a team, everyone chipping in, and when we do that we can accomplish great things.”

It says here, even the hyenas didn’t see this one coming.

On a night in which Andrei Kuzmenko took just four minutes and 20 seconds to score his first as a Flame, it was his early chemistry with Jonathan Huberdeau that undoubtedly has Flames fans abuzz.

Well, that and the two power-play goals, beating the beast of the east on their home ice despite playing most of the night short a player, embracing the fact they had six new faces in the lineup since their last game and doing it all in their first game back after losing their most complete player via trade.

The coach was right when he said earlier in the day we were about to learn plenty about the character of his club. 

“It reinforces what we knew, that there is a lot in that room,” said Ryan Huska, reigning praise on a leadership group that steered a young bunch through a jarring trade, the ongoing threat of more swaps, and plenty of question marks surrounding a patchwork lineup.   

“This was one of our better games of the year.”

He praised Kevin Rooney and Jakob Pelletier for their season debuts on a finally effective fourth line with Walker Duehr.

He praised the physical edge waiver claim Brayden Pachal brought on the back end where he had a game-high six hits in just 12 minutes of ice time.

But while you don’t beat Boston without everybody in the lineup going great guns, it was the play of the team’s hastily-formed top line that stole the show.

Huberdeau in particular, as he had a goal and two assists, including a beauty to set up Kuzmenko on the opening power play, which the newcomer wristed home for the fifth-fastest goal to start a Flames career.

“It was a great start, obviously, for the first game,” smiled Huberdeau, who many hope will finally get back into an offensive groove alongside a finisher like Kuzmenko.

“Obviously, he was getting open. I told him, 'a lot of give-and-goes, we’re going to create.’

I think we communicated really well tonight. That’s what I like. I think we want to help each other. That’s what we need to do going forward.”

“The execution was there. Kuzy is a good player, plays well. He’s a guy who can shoot the puck, make some plays. And Sharky (Yegor Sharangovich), as a centreman, was really good tonight as well defensively. We just have to keep things going.”

As endless as the possibilities might seem for a trio that features a pure passer with two dangerous finishers, it was fair to wonder how they’d fare in their own zone.

“We want to play as much time in their zone, so we don’t play defence – that’s our goal,” said Huberdeau of a rational solution.

“First of all, we have to think about defence. That’s what we did tonight. We have to keep doing that.”

After Connor Zary’s sublime finish in tight put the Flames up 2-0 a mere 13 minutes in, TD Garden got a jolt when a cross-checking major was handed out to Martin Pospisil for an overzealous headshot on Brad Marchand in a late first-period scrum.

The Flames weathered that storm but couldn’t stop Pavel Zacha from closing the gap early in the third when his one-timer on a two-man advantage took a fortuitous bounce off Noah Hanifin’s stick and in.

After finally solving Jacob Markstrom, who was in the midst of another spectacular outing, it suddenly seemed inevitable the Bruins would continue the comeback. 

However, two minutes later Huberdeau and Kadri forced a turnover in Boston’s zone while playing four on four that Huberdeau wired top shelf to give the team breathing room.

“That’s what I’m most proud of,” said Kadri of the team’s response.

“Huge goal by Huby, what a shot. He’s got to use that more often. He picked a great corner.

We never got deflated – we were controlling most parts of the game and we just had to stay with it.”

Hanifin’s end-to-ender gave the Flames their second power-play goal of the night, which is exactly the type of result they’d hoped they’d get with the former Canucks sniper in their lineup.

“I loved it – if we can do that consistently we can be dangerous,” said Kadri of a power play that has been one of the league’s worst all year.

“Obviously a fresh look. We want to be difference makers and snap it around.”
Kuzmenko, who had 14 of his 39 goals last year on the man advantage, had plenty to do with that.

“It’s a good feeling - good feeling because we win,” beamed the Russian, whose line anchored the top power play alongside Hanifin and Kadri, who added three helpers.

“It’s good, a good line. It’s a very good connection ... I like it. Sharangovich and Huberdeau is really great players and the power play is good. 

“I think we play the same game. It’s not simple, the game ... Every time, change. Stop and then pass back. I like it. And then Sharangovich is a great centre with very good speed, very fast, and very high hockey IQ. We’ll see how we play in the future. But first game, it’s good.”