“I'm pretty strong”: Flames' Gaudreau flexes muscle in a new way
Johnny Gaudreau was opening eyes and dropping jaws for all the expected reasons and one unexpected one during the Calgary Flames’ 3-2 win at the Los Angeles Kings on Monday.
Gaudreau, all 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds of him, had his “usual” three-point affair, netting two goals and adding an assist to register on all three Flames goals.
He also had two penalty minutes for roughing.
Upgrade it to a major for fighting, and Gaudreau would’ve had all three elements required — goal, assist, fight — for a unique little milestone.
“Just think, if that had been a fight, he could have had a Gordie Howe Hat-Trick tonight,” Calgary coach Darryl Sutter grinned postgame.
“That’s what I was mad at the refs for. I said, ‘How could Johnny Gaudreau get a roughing penalty when there’s like 10 guys? There’s gotta be somebody else to get a penalty.’ The referee said, ‘Don’t point at me.’ I said, ‘I’m not pointing at you, I was pointing at where the scrum was.'”
Gaudreau’s takedown of Kings defenceman Sean Durzi, with just under three minutes remaining in the first period, definitely caught attention, if not most, by surprise. It came on a scrum in front of Los Angeles goaltender Cal Petersen initiated by linemate Matthew Tkachuk.
But it was Gaudreau, shockingly, who ended it with a chokehold-turned-slam.
"A great start, couldn't ask for a better start."
Hear from Johnny after his two-goal performance vs. the Kings! pic.twitter.com/a9gI821hHR
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 5, 2022
“I don’t think he knew I was coming from behind,” Gaudreau said. “I felt like there were two guys on Chucky, so I tried to help him out a bit.
“I’m pretty strong, I think. When the guy’s not looking, I’m pretty strong. I didn’t try to hurt him or anything. I just tried to grab him off Chucky. I think he fell backwards a little bit, softly.”
Softly. Of course.
Gaudreau is a former Lady Byng winner — presented annually to the “player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”
The takedown might disqualify him from the running in 2022, though.
“I had a few thoughts cross my mind,” said Flames defenceman Erik Gudbranson, himself a veteran of over three-dozen tilts in the NHL. “I was impressed, No. 1. I didn’t think he’d do it. The rest of them I’ll keep to myself.”
More important than the takedown of Durzi was Gaudreau’s dismantling of the Kings.
Calgary now have a five-point edge over Los Angeles for first in the Pacific Division, with three fewer games played. It’ll go a long way to sewing up the top spot and an eventual date with the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“I think everyone wants to be that guy on our team,” Gaudreau said.
“Obviously, tonight it was me. Lindy had a big goal too, and we’ve had a lot of contributions from a lot of guys throughout the year here this year. You can’t really stick it on one guy.”
It also doesn’t hurt Gaudreau’s running on an individual level, either.
The 28-year-old sits fourth overall in NHL scoring with 95 points (34 goals, 61 assists).
He’s four off his career-high of 99 points (36 goals, 63 assists) set in the 2018-19 season and five shy of his first 100-point season in the NHL, too.
“Johnny was on fire tonight, though,” Sutter said. “He was awesome. He’s been really good lately.”
Follow Channels and Categories