CALGARY — They didn’t name the dance after him, but if he continues to grow his game like he has of late, Matvei Gridin may very well be remembered for it.
Seven years after a high school touchdown celebration known as The Griddy went viral, Gridin punctuated his second goal in Monday night’s 5-2 win over the Leafs with an icy version of the TikTok staple.
“Obviously my nickname is Griddy, and I was thinking about that for a long time, and I thought it was a good moment to do that — up by three and having fun,” said the Flames’ 20-year-old winger of a groove that sees the performer alternately tap their heels while swinging their arms.
“A couple old guys said it was a bit too much, but I think they loved it.”
Will he do it again?
“I’m not gonna say no,” he laughed.
“But I’m not gonna say yes.”
Smart money says he’ll have plenty of opportunities he’s sure to make good on to perfect the move.
After all, the uber-confident Russian first-rounder was the one who declared last spring he'd lead the team in scoring this year.
“I didn’t see it coming — I kind of backed up and let him do it,” beamed Zayne Parekh, who set up the filthy roof job over Sergei Bobrovsky’s glove with a 150-foot pass out of his zone just 25 seconds into the second period.
“I told him before the draw to be ready and all I saw was his stick touching the ceiling, and he wanted that thing. What a shot. Special. He’s going to score a lot of goals in this league and I’m not surprised he scored from there.”
There, meaning just a few strides into the Leafs zone on the left wing with a rocket far-side.
The dance?
“There’s no ill thought in his head, he’s just a kid having fun, and we’re having fun as a team right now,” said Parekh.
On Monday the Flames’ kids were driving the bus, the veterans were providing ample support, and the Saddledome was rocking as a red and blue combination of fans saw a glimpse of just how exciting the future can be in Calgary.
The Flames’ fourth consecutive victory, and fifth in six games, has turned an embarrassing 0-5 start into a stretch that has them the hottest team in the league.
Funny how quickly a season can change when the puck starts going in, the passes start connecting and the kids start looking like they belong.
Gridin’s first was equally impressive, a short-side snipe after a gorgeous cross-ice feed from Martin Pospisil. With four goals in his last four games, Gridin returned the favour by assisting on Pospisil’s late empty-netter.
Aydar Suniev was every bit as noticeable, ringing a shot off the post and adding seven shots on goal while throwing his weight around with a confidence that suggests he hasn't received the memo about youngsters being expected to wait their turn.
And then there was Parekh, whose long-distance delivery to Gridin was the kind of pass that makes you rewind the play just to appreciate how ridiculous it was. He drove the net to draw a penalty, hit endless teammates through the middle with perfect passes, attacked with purpose, and put together perhaps his best game yet.
Setting the stage for the Flames’ first win over the Leafs since 2022, the opening period might have been the most entertaining 20 minutes the Flames have played in a year. They took a 2-0 lead, hit two posts, zipped the puck around with newfound swagger, delivered punishing hits and got into two fights.
Seven of Calgary's 11 first-period shots came from youngsters, including three apiece from Suniev and Gridin. They set the tone.
Michael Backlund, returning from injury, roofed a beautiful feed after Matt Coronato's aggressive forecheck created and put the Flames up 2-0. It was a reminder that the veterans still have plenty to contribute when the younger crowd starts making things happen.
Farabee’s goal and assist have him on a five-game heater, Coronato had two assists, and Backlund’s goal tied him with Johnny Gaudreau for fifth on the franchise points leaders list.
Pospisil was everywhere, too. He set up Gridin's opener, scored an empty-netter and even jumped in when Leafs forward Easton Cowan tried to engage Suniev.
The best part was that Calgary didn't need Devin Cooley to perform another one-man circus.
Starting his fourth consecutive contest with Dustin Wolf working on his game, Cooley made the saves he needed to make, including a sprawling right-foot robbery off a dangerous power-play chance by Kirill Marchenko. He also came up big on a later opportunity for McKenna.
But the Flames were doing enough in front of him that he didn't have to stand on his head to keep them in it.
The puck movement was crisp. Teammates were hitting each other in full stride. Kevin Bahl walked the blue line with a toe drag and pass that looked suspiciously Parekh-esque as part of an evening when he was continually involved in offensive forays.
Confidence is growing.
“It grows a lot, but it all starts with us playing the right way,” said Gridin, pegged as one of the pillars in the Flames’ rebuild.
“And because we play the right way we can afford to do some fun stuff with the puck. Four wins a row, we’re playing some great hockey right now.”
Maybe this was the flow Cooley has talked about, that elusive state where a team stops overthinking and starts reacting. Whatever it was, Calgary rode that confidence through the night.
Yegor Sharangovich even delivered a hit — a significant one at that, as he knocked Marchenko out of the game with an apparent leg injury.
The Leafs made a game of it with second half goals from Cowan and William Nylander, but the Flames held tight, silencing fans whose early “Go Leafs Go” chants were answered by the Calgary faithful one minute in.
A Griddy win indeed.
