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Matt Coronato scored a hat trick and added an help because the Calgary Flames opened pre-season play with a 10-0 thumping of the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.
Coronato — the Flames’ first-round decide (thirteenth total) within the 2021 draft — made his NHL debut in Calgary’s remaining recreation of the season final yr.
The 20-year-old turned professional and signed his entry-level contract simply weeks earlier following the completion of his second NCAA season at Harvard.
Jonathan Huberdeau added a pair of targets whereas Nazem Kadri, Jordan Oesterle, Noah Hanifin, Connor Zary and Ben Jones additionally scored for Calgary.
In Ryan Huska’s first recreation as head coach, changing the fired Darryl Sutter, the Flames dressed a much more veteran-laden lineup than the guests.
Getting the beginning in objective for Calgary and enjoying two durations, Jacob Markstrom was excellent stopping all 20 pictures confronted together with two terrific saves within the second interval.
He made a glove snag off a harmful likelihood by Nils Aman and a sprawling pad cease to disclaim Jack Studnicka in conjunction with the online.
Huberdeau, 30, is getting into the primary of an eight-year, US$84 million contract extension he signed in 2022 shortly after he was acquired in a commerce with Florida that despatched Matthew Tkachuk to the Panthers.
Huberdeau’s first yr in Calgary was a disappointment as his level whole plummeted to 55 (15 targets, 40 assists) after a career-high 115 factors (30 targets, 85 assists) in 2021-22, when he completed tied for second in league scoring.
Each targets for Huberdeau — who did not have single a multi-goal recreation final season — got here on account of good performs.
At 8:43 of the primary, Huberdeau made it 3-0 when he acquired the puck within the slot, toe-dragged round defenceman Noah Juulsen, who went spinning to the ice, then whipped a shot into the highest nook.
His second, making it 5-0 at 9:39 of the second interval, got here off a good looking cross-ice setup from Kadri on a 2-on-1.
Markstorm is one other participant seeking to have a bounceback season as his save share fell to .892 final season, after being a Vezina Trophy finalist with a .922 mark the earlier yr.
Arturs Silovs acquired the beginning in internet for Vancouver. The Canucks’ No. 1 American Hockey League goaltender final season gave up seven targets on 18 pictures earlier than being changed midway by means of the second interval by Zach Sawchenko.
Sawchenko did not face a shot in his eight-plus minutes of motion within the second. He did not fare significantly better within the third interval, nonetheless, giving up two targets on the primary three pictures of the body.
Zary and Jones’s markers made it 9-0 lower than 5 minutes into third, which prompted chants of, “We would like 10,” from the house crowd the remainder of the night.
The group acquired their want at 12:23 when Coronato made it 10-0, zipping an ideal shot previous Sawchenko on the ability play.
GILBERT DEPARTS
Flames defenceman Dennis Gilbert left the sport and didn’t return when he was despatched closely into the top boards on a success by Nils Hoglander. He needed to be helped off the ice.
OPPORTUNISTIC OFFENCE
The ten targets on 26 pictures was a pointy departure from how the Flames fared offensively final season in lacking the playoffs. Whereas Calgary completed second within the league in pictures on objective underneath Sutter, it solely ranked nineteenth in targets.
UP NEXT
Canucks: Journey to Edmonton to tackle the Oilers on Wednesday.
Flames: Play a split-squad doubleheader towards Seattle on Monday with a recreation in every metropolis.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Sept. 24, 2023.
