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Calgary Flames defenceman Kuznetsov pokes fun at himself after big goal

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Dec 9 2025, 1:00 pm
Calgary Flames defenceman Kuznetsov pokes fun at himself after big goal
Sergei Belski/Imagn Images

The Calgary Flames got big contributions up and down the lineup in Monday’s 7-4 win versus the Buffalo Sabres.

The most unexpected offensive contributor on the night was Yan Kuznetsov. The 23-year-old has impressed since being called up by the Flames in early November, but more so for his work on the defensive side.

In this one, he was not only able to score the game-winning goal, but also chipped in with an assist on an empty-net tally from Yegor Sharangovich.

“It’s pretty cool,” Kuznetsov said of his first-career empty net goal. “I think I’m getting a Christmas present or something with that today.”

Kuznetsov, who scored just 18 goals in 226 AHL games and has two so far in the NHL, also had some self-deprecating humour when asked to break down his big goal in this one.

“Pure offensive instincts,” said a grinning Kuznetsov. “I saw that there was some free ice at the net front, and I thought it was safe. I [wasn’t] going to get burned if I went there. Good bounce, good fire poker. Good to get a goal.”

Kuznetsov has settled in as a top-four defenceman as of late, as he’s proven to be a great partner for MacKenzie Weegar. His 20:13 minutes per game rank second among all NHL rookies, to only Matthew Schaefer.

“It’s nice for a defenceman like that to score,” head coach Ryan Huska said. “He’s had some really good games for us. He’s done a lot of good things. Sneaking up there in the play like that was another good one. He picked the right time to do that.”

While Kuznetsov impressed, it was Yegor Sharangovich who really stood out in this one. The 27-year-old scored two goals after also finding the back of the net on Monday, and was rewarded with the Flames’ custom-winning red jacket.

“I think it’s a really big thing. We take a [win], and that’s three games in a row [we’ve won],” Sharangovich said postgame. “Now we have fun, everybody’s smiling, and we just need to keep going.”

Not only have the Flames won three games in a row, but they’ve also improved to 7-2-1 over their last 10. They’ll look to keep the momentum rolling into Wednesday’s outing versus the Detroit Red Wings.

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