Emotional night for Kylington masks Flames' latest disappointing loss

CALGARY – Mikael Backlund said he had goosebumps before the game.

He wasn’t alone.

Imagine how Oliver Kylington felt.

Making his first NHL appearance in 20 months due to his battle with mental health issues, the 26-year-old Flames defenceman was welcomed back to the league in stirring fashion Thursday.

As he stood on the blueline with spotlights shining down on him, the soft-spoken Swede was introduced as part of the starting lineup, spurring a rousing, lengthy ovation for the lad.

Some stood.

The message: you’re not alone.

He felt that.

“It’s touching for sure, it really is,” said Kylington, who nodded his appreciation and clapped back towards the crowd.

“I just want to give it back. 

“I just want to show my abilities on the ice, and I think that’s my way to give it back.”

He did just that, in flashes, reminding himself and the fans what the gunslinging speedster brings to the game.

But before he got that long-awaited chance to carve out 13 minutes of ice time alongside third-pairing partner Jordan Oesterle, he really soaked in the support he never knew he had until his return neared this week.

 “This was nothing I could ever expect,” he smiled.

“When you see people writing to you, people cheering for you, applauding you, it really touches you in a way where I wasn’t expecting.

“It means a lot.”

So did being named a starter, which was symbolic of how much the team has striven to be as supportive as possible for him.

“Husk didn’t have to do that, but it was nice to see the crowd cheering my name,” he beamed.

After all, as he said after his first practice with the team Monday, there were times he didn’t think he would ever be here again.

“It’s hard to go back and sum everything up, but just happy to be back and doing what I love to do,” he told Ryan Leslie on the Sportsnet broadcast after the first period.

“It’s special. I’m happy to be here and happy to be playing again.

“I had butterflies in my stomach.

“Feels good.”

Feels, well, normal – something he’s been striving for the better part of two years.

“Everything felt normal,” he said, making it clear he still has plenty of work to do to get back up to speed.

“Guys made it pretty easy for me to come in.”

The roar was loud late in the first period when Kylington used his speed to drive to the net for a quality scoring chance that he said served as notice he was back.

Yet, despite the energy his story generated, it wasn’t enough for his teammates to ride to victory.

Instead, Kylington’s feel-good evening masked a 5-2 loss to a Columbus Blue Jackets club that hadn’t won a regulation game in 13 outings.

Breaking a 2-2 tie after two periods with three unanswered goals in the third, the Jackets helped the Flames serve unofficial notice they’re no longer playoff contenders.

“It’s unacceptable – four straight losses at home when you’re trying to make the playoffs to teams we need to beat,” said Chris Tanev, summing their latest collapse up nicely.

“We’re obviously not playing how we were a week ago. We were progressing and playing how we wanted to, and playing the right way.”

No longer.

Bring back the dads.

The news gets worse.

A.J. Greer suffered a Joe Theismann-like ankle injury that will almost certainly end his season on the same day the team lost Adam Ruzicka and Nick DeSimone on waivers.

In less than a week, the Flames have lost its entire fourth line. 

Expect another Wrangler call-up to join the team Saturday when they host Chicago for their last game before the all-star break — a game that could easily serve as the final stake through the Flames’ playoff hopes if the lowly Blackhawks can beat Calgary for the fifth-straight time.

Lost in all of this was Johnny Gaudreau making his second visit to Calgary as a Blue Jacket,  and was held scoreless while 18,000 booed him with every touch of the puck.

Oh, and Jonathan Huberdeau was hoofed from the game for boarding after plowing Jack Roslovic’s face into the boards, causing considerable bleeding.

A memorable night for so many reasons, led by Kylington’s triumphant return.

“I thought he did a really good job tonight — he was one of the bright spots for our team, for sure,” said Ryan Huska, otherwise critical of his team’s energy level. 

“It was a big moment for him, for what he’s gone through.

“He’s had a tough stretch and I think people recognize the challenges probably that he would have faced, and it was nice to see the ovation he did get.”