Flames Takeaways: Huberdeau's slump continues, Sharangovich stays hot

The game was on Jonathan Huberdeau’s stick, which may just be the last place the Calgary Flames should have put it.

Dan Vladar had just kicked up his left pad in desperation to make a scorpion save on Minnesota’s Freddie Gaudreau in the third round of the shootout, giving Huberdeau a chance to win the game.

Flames fans can guess how it ended from there for the snakebitten Flames and their highest-paid player.

Huberdeau was stopped, and the Flames went on to extend their perfectly putrid shootout record to 0 and 4.

It marred an otherwise solid effort that saw the club fight hard to squeeze its second consecutive loser point to wrap up a hellish trip that saw the Flames squander a third-period lead for the third straight outing.

A 3-2 shootout loss to the Wild sent them home from a swing through Denver, Vegas and Minnesota with two of a possible six points, despite showing tremendous character and several encouraging signs along the way:

SHARANGOVICH ON FIRE

Yegor Sharangovich was the Flames’ best player once again, scoring once on the powerplay, setting up Blake Coleman for a short-handed goal, roofing another rocket in the shootout and hitting the post late in a 2-2 game.

The 25-year-old has become a bit of a revelation, extending his goal-scoring streak to four straight games – a string that has seen him score five times.

In his last 12, he has seven goals and 12 points, settling in nicely alongside Elias Lindholm on the top line.

“He gets in the right spot, has a good shot and right now pucks are going in,” said Lindholm during intermission on the Sportsnet broadcast.

“Trying to find him as much as possible.”

Acquired in the summer for Tyler Toffoli, Sharangovich has bounced all over the lineup, including a fourth-line centre role at one point.

Now he’s being put in every possible position to succeed.

“I think it’s a good game for us,” said the Belarussian, who leads the team with ten goals.

“I hit the post and should score on this chance.”

POSPISIL FULLY ENGAGED 

On a night in which Connor Zary helped set up Sharangovich’s goal, it was rookie linemate Martin Pospisil who spent the whole night living rent-free in the mind of several Wild muckers.

Playing a physical game he's long been known for, Pospisil agitated the 234-pound Pat Maroon and Marcus Foligno to the point of distraction, engaging in several hits and scrums with the lads. 

“To start the game I don’t know if we were engaged physically the way you need to be to play and win games, but then I thought there were some scrums and Marty, I thought, did a good job of kind of dragging people into the fight a little bit tonight,” said coach Ryan Huska.

“I think it helped get our game going.

“He’s a competitive young man who plays hard and sometimes he gets under the skin of his opponent, but that’s what makes him who he is.”

VLADAR BOUNCES BACK

Dan Vladar did well to bounce back after a tough couple weeks in which he’s largely been a backup to The People’s Netminder, Dustin Wolf.

Also missing a start with the flu, Vladar started Thursday despite the fact he was pulled against Minny last week after allowing three goals on 16 shots.   

Things didn’t start well (another Flames theme) for him as he waited too long to play the puck, leading to a Huberdeau cough up that saw Matt Boldy beat Vladar's glove five minutes in.

“The last couple of weeks weren’t great for me, so I was just trying to get back on track as soon as I could,” he told reporters after the game.

“I was just working hard on and off the ice so I can perform alright.  

“Just the results are still not there, so I hope I’ll get more chances.”
It was an interesting thing to say, as Jacob Markstrom has been practicing with the Wranglers and appears ready to return from his fractured finger as early as Saturday night when the Lightning come to town.

“Guys did a great job in front of me tonight,” said Vladar, who made 30 saves, not counting the reverse kick save that will live for decades on the highlight shows.

“I thought we were the better team and deserved those two points, but the shootout is like the lottery – they’ve got a bunch of skilled guys. It is what it is.”

Both teams scored once in the shootout before Boldy ended it in the fourth round.

Before Lindholm, Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri missed for Calgary, the Wild’s first goal by Mats Zuccarello was somewhat controversial as a deke past Vladar saw the puck graze off the goalie’s stick before the forward tapped it into the empty net.

Vladar appealed the play should have been dead at that point, to no avail.

“Initially you thought it was (going to be waived off) but I don’t think there was a second touch like we saw it earlier in the year for I can’t remember which team it was,” said Huska.

“The NHL looks at all of those and they determined it was a good goal, so you can’t really say much about it.”