The Calgary Flames have lost two in a row, blowing a 2-1 third-period lead against the Oilers on Saturday and a 4-2 third-period lead against the Kraken on Tuesday.
Jonathan Huberdeau’s name didn’t appear on the scoresheet in either loss outside of a holding minor versus Seattle and his coach, Darryl Sutter, told reporters following the loss he thinks “[Huberdeau] has to speed his game up.”
Huberdeau agreed with his coach’s assessment of his play when speaking with media Wednesday.
“Yeah, I mean, I still got a lot of work to do. Obviously, it hasn’t been easy for me at the beginning of the year,” Huberdeau said. “I’m way better than what I am right now and I think he’s right. Thinking a little too much, not moving my feet as I used to last year and I think I gotta start doing that. I want to do it as soon as possible but I just gotta relax and play my game. I know I’m a good player. I got to come back to the basics.”
The 29-year-old was acquired in the off-season from the Florida Panthers as part of the blockbuster deal that included MacKenzie Weegar and had Matthew Tkachuk go the other way. Huberdeau then signed a lucrative eight-year extension ($10.5 million AAV) with the Flames.
Huberdeau is coming off a career year in 2021-22 during which he led the NHL with 85 assists and finished tied for second in points with 115, however that type of production has yet to been from the forward since he made his Flames debut. He had three points through the opening three games of the year as the team started 3-0-0 but has just two in the five games since.
“Jonathan is a really good 200-foot player,” Sutter said of Huberdeau prior to the Kraken game. “I think there has been way too much talk about goals, and assists, and points, and last year. It’s so different. When that happens, (the player thinks) ‘OK, I’ve got to score more.’ He does everything else. He’s a good player. Instead of putting pressure on yourself to score or make that play, just play the game.”
Calgary continues its lengthy homestand Thursday against the Predators before hosting the Devils on Saturday. After that the team will play nine of their next 11 on the road.
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