"I took it in": Huberdeau appreciative of support from Flames fans after big goal
Jonathan Huberdeau won’t forget the support he was given last night by Calgary Flames fans.
The 30-year-old, who is in the first year of an eight-year, $84 million deal, came into Thursday night’s game versus the Vancouver Canucks on an 11-game goalless drought. Fans were growing frustrated given that Huberdeau’s struggles date all the way back to last season. Despite the frustration, however, many also seem to sympathize with him, particularly in a recent game where he looked to be on the verge of breaking down after being benched.
Whether or not it will help him get going, Flames fans erupted in both longer and louder cheers than usual on Thursday when Huberdeau was able to beat Canucks goaltender Casey DeSmith to give the Flames a 4-1 lead.
#Flames Jonathan Huberdeau snaps an 11-game goalless drought pic.twitter.com/l1tnl27D4y
ā Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) November 17, 2023
Huberdeau’s relief after finding the back of the net was clear, as was the crowd’s extremely positive reaction. The struggling winger noticed and was extremely appreciative of all the fans in the Saddledome when speaking with reporters postgame.
“I [took] it in. It’s nice to get support from the crowd,” Huberdeau said. “They’ve been patient, so it’s nice obviously. Hopefully, that can get me going.”
It was one of two points for Huberdeau on the night, as he also assisted on an empty net goal by Elias Lindholm with less than two minutes remaining, allowing the Flames to walk away with a 5-2 victory. It marks his second multi-point game of the season, with the first taking place in the season opener in a win over the Winnipeg Jets.
The Flames will have today off before looking to win their third straight tomorrow night in an outing versus the New York Islanders, who have struggled as of late with seven straight losses, the two most recent of which have come in extra time.
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